Psalm 121

Psalm 121:1-8  A Song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?  ² My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.  ³ He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.  ⁴ Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.  ⁵ The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.  ⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.  ⁷ The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.  ⁸ The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

I woke up this morning with an excitement!  An excitement for God and an excitement to see what He is up to!  We serve a God who is on the move and He seems to be on the move even more lately.  Or maybe I’ve been more aware of His movement.  Maybe I’ve been more open to allowing Him to move.

We like to be in control.  We like to look to ourselves for help – or we like to look to our friends and family for help – but we need to look to the Lord!  Scripture tells us that He is where our help comes from!  He’s the one who is in control.  He made the heavens and the earth, He can and will definitely intervene in every situation that we invite Him into.  We just have to make sure and invite Him in.

Often times we believe that God is too busy or our challenges aren’t great enough to bother Him.  Or we believe we can handle it and don’t need His help.  Or maybe we just forget that He is always there as a resource for us.  And He is always there.  He never sleeps nor slumbers, He stays awake all night as we sleep.  We can rest knowing that He stands watch through the night.  If we let Him, He will keep us and protect us.

Our challenge – let God be God and allow Him to be in control; allow Him to be your help!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Job

Job 2:9-10  Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die."  ¹⁰ But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

I was talking with an old friend yesterday, catching each other up about what has been going on in our lives.  She has been having a few rough months lately.  She was in a really bad car accident back in June, totaling her car and one other and damaging three other vehicles in addition to the individual who had caused the accident.  The individual who was at fault only had liability insurance…not enough coverage to cover everyone.  So my friend’s insurance had to help her get a new car (she had just bought a new car in May, 2012).  She is also no having aches and pains and seeing a doctor due to this accident.

Then in early July she had to fly home to Ohio to attend her grandfather’s funeral.  My friend is a grief counselor and knows that you can never be prepared to lose a loved one, but it’s always different when it’s you instead of a client.  Then a couple weeks ago her air conditioner decided to start acting up…ah the joys of home ownership.  After having it looked at, it will be cheaper to replace the unit than to have it fixed.  Then last week while she was mowing, she ran over a storm drain just right and bent one of her blades.  After having that fixed, she realized the damage was worse than just that because she was leaking oil too!!

My friend expressed her tiredness over everything that had been going on.  Any of these individually would be a bump in the road; having them build on top of one another seemed more like a roadblock.  My friend has been through a lot in her life and her faith is strong…I don’t have to worry about her cursing God and dying as Job’s wife suggests.

If you aren’t familiar with Job’s story, I encourage you to read it.  The story of Job begins by explaining his wealth and many blessings.  Satan then pays a visit to God, telling Him that Job would not be such a Godly servant if life weren’t so easy for him.  God allows Satan to “go at it” with Job, just spare his life.  So little by little Satan destroys all that Job has.  Job’s children are killed, all his cattle and flocks are killed, his crops are destroyed, and Job, himself ends up with physical afflictions.  His wife suggests he give up, but Job refuses.

In the end Job is reconciled and God blesses him beyond what he previously had…and that is the encouragement we are able to take with us.  Even though life may seem a mess and our world seems to be falling in around us, God is still in control.  He will be with us through the trials and we will be blessed for persevering…though we may have to wait until Heaven to receive the blessing, it is coming.

Stay resolute and encouraged!!  God is with you!!

Pastor Amy

Isaiah 6

Isaiah 6:1-5   In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.  ² Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  ³ And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"  ⁴ And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.  ⁵ And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"

The other day I was having a conversation with a friend around Bible translations.  We agreed that some translations are better than others, some are easier to understand and some do a better job of getting to the point of what the original texts intended.  The challenge is that without knowing the original language, some of the nuances of Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament) are lost in translation.

One of the things we spoke about relates to today’s passage.  In Hebrew, they did not have punctuation.  They also did not have a similar word for “very.”  So if someone speaking Hebrew wanted to punctuate their point, instead of saying “very pretty” or “pretty!” they repeated the word; pretty pretty.  So if someone was very smart, they would be “smart smart.”  If someone’s house was really small, it would be “small small.”

The author of Isaiah utilized this principle, but he took it to the next level.  Isaiah didn’t say God was “holy holy,” he said God was “holy holy holy” (vAdßq' vAd±q' ŸvAdôq').  God is so holy, Isaiah had to go beyond what typical grammar allowed for and said it three times; really punctuating his point.

Holy is one of those words that we use in church, but sometimes don’t really know what it means.  I think the best definition for holy is something that is worthy to be worshiped and praised.  We serve a God that is not just “kind of worthy” to be worshiped, but one that is amazingly worthy!!  There is none like our God!!

Praise God today – for He is Holy, holy, holy – and worthy of our praise!

Pastor Amy

Psalm 86:10-11  For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.  ¹¹ Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.

Ephesians 4:15-16  Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,  ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

2 Peter 3:16-17  There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.  ¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.

“My Pleasure. J”  Whenever I hear these words, a smile always comes to my face.  Living in the south during seminary, I became accustomed to hearing these words when I was at one of my favorite restaurants.  A place I could go and always be treated well.  A place I could go study and listen to Christian music.  A place I could go and have the managers come out and refill my beverage…and remember, this is a fast food place.  The challenge?  Make sure you’re not craving a Chicken Biscuit on Sunday!

I love Chick-fil-A.  I love the food, the customer service, and the focus on family values.  Many of you may have heard Chick-fil-A in the news the past couple of days.  Their President Dan Cathy, when asked about his view on same-sex marriage, commented that he backs the traditional family unit.  Way to go Dan Cathy!  Way to step up and speak the truth!  Way to not back down in the face of adversity!  And adversity there is.

 Because of this comment, several cities, including Chicago, are now trying to stop Chick-fil-A from opening restaurants there.  Others are calling for a boycott of the “Eat Mor Chikin” chain.  They are saying this restaurant is a hate group.  My heart aches.  The day has come when we can no longer say we support traditional family values without others claiming discrimination.  Does that mean we stop speaking the truth?  No Way!!

Scripture tells us we must learn God’s ways so we can walk in the truth.  We must make sure we have a solid hold of “The Truth” so we can identify when others twist Scripture (like the signs stating “God Hates Hate”).  False teaching is all over this and confusing those who are not solid in their faith.  We need to be bold – bolder than ever before; speaking out in favor of God and His Word and against those speaking falsity.  We need to not back down and stay silent, taking the non-confrontation road.  We must speak the truth in love.

Go and be a light!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Psalm 46

Psalm 46:1-3  God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  ² Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,  ³ though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

I was visiting with someone this week and after sharing some thoughts on the weather, she started sharing about the events of her life.  She started slowly, sharing that her husband and she had been part of a church plant in Indiana.  She shared about how they had struggled financially, but God always provided “just in time” when a bill needed to be paid or food needed to be purchased.  She shared how many people had come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior through their ministry.

In addition to financial struggles, she also shared about challenges with family, challenges with some of the parishioners, and challenges she was currently having with grief over the loss of loved ones.  She also shared her struggles with adapting to her “new lifestyle” caused by her changes in health.  At the end of her story, she commented, “I just don’t know how people do it without knowing Jesus.”

I completely agree!!  If I only had me to depend on, I would be in a world of hurt.  I’m not all powerful or all knowing.  I can’t rest in the fact that I know what is going on and what will come in the future.  Only God is “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”  He is the only one who can help us through the tough times.  He’s the only one who is our provider.

Rest in the knowledge that it is God who is your strength!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Esther 4

Esther 4:15-16  Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai,  ¹⁶ "Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish."

I don’t know anyone who enjoys taking orders.  We all like doing things our way in our timing.  Though, almost every area of our life is full of doing things because it is what others require of us.  At school, we do as our teachers ask so we can learn and graduate to the next grade.  At work, we do as our boss requires so we can get paid and hopefully earn raises and promotions.  At home, we do as our family needs – doing laundry and cleaning, making meals spending time together.  Very rarely, it seems, we get to do what we want and how we want.

There is one other that we need to follow and do as He requires, God.  God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9) and often times He asks us to things we are unsure of, uncomfortable with, or even places fear within us.  We just don’t want to.  We’d like to put our foot down and just say, “No!”

Our passage today is from the book of Esther, the story of God preserving the Jewish people throughout the Persian Empire through Esther and her Uncle Mordecai.  God requires a task of Esther and she doesn’t want to carry it out.  In fact she says, “No, it’s too dangerous” because she might lose her life.  Eventually, through the course of events, she comes to the understanding that being obedient is more important than her life.  She does what is required and God’s people are preserved.

Being obedient is more important that your life.  God’s ways often seem strange to us…He just doesn’t make sense sometimes.  Though, do we really want a God we can completely understand?  Plus, if we do it His way instead of our way, He gets the glory…it has to be Him working through us!!

What is God asking of you?  Is He asking you to stand up for someone, a co-worker or classmate?  Is He asking you to stand up against an ethical wrong at work?  Is He asking you to encourage someone in your life whom you haven’t spoken with in years?  Does He want you to share the Gospel Message with a family member who has been resistant for years?  Is there a ministry He is leading you to start, but you have been trying to ignore Him? 

God doesn’t typically ask us to do easy things that don’t cause us to sweat.  If He did, we wouldn’t have to rely on Him for help.  Remember, if God is leading you to do or say or start something, He will be with you until the end.  Even if we feel foolish or fearful, following God is more important!!  Who knows?  Maybe we have been made “for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14)

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

2 Timothy 2

2 Timothy 2:16-17a  But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness,  ¹⁷ and their talk will spread like gangrene.

I was sitting at one of my favorite places yesterday enjoying a coffee and reading a book to pass the time.  I couldn't help but over hear a couple of ladies talking.  They were talking about retirement funds and the challenge between using the money they had saved and making sure the money lasts until the end...a few different comments led me to believe they were in their early 70's.

Then all of a sudden, the topic changed.  "Oh my goodness, look who is coming this way - don't look!  We don't want her coming over here!!"  The conversation continued to speak ill of this other woman's character, habits, and even the outfit she was wearing.  One of the women even said, "I know I shouldn't be like this, but..." and she continued to tear down this other woman.

As I sat there trying to read my book, I just kept thinking, really?  At your age you haven't figured out how destructive gossip is?  And this poor woman – I was certain if she did notice these ladies and came over, they would be as pleasant as old friends towards her.

Scripture tells us gossip can infiltrate and destroy like nothing else.  Even listening to gossip is sin.  Listening to someone else's slander effects how we feel about the person.  Before we know it, we don't care for the person either and aren't really sure why.

We need to steer clear of gossip...speaking it and listening to it.  I'll even say, “Oh really?  I like her, I think she's really nice”...that typically quiets the person who is trying to draw me to their camp.  If you do find yourself gossiping, stop and repent immediately.  It's a bad habit many of us need to break.  We don't even realize we are doing it.

Ask God to open your eyes to all destructive habits you may have, including gossip, and ask for the strength to quit!

I'm praying for you!

Pastor Amy

1 Corinthians 10

1 Corinthians 10:13  No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Well, I think we must be on the right track with the pursuit of continuing to seek more of God; continuing to dive deeper; continuing to get crazier with Christ.  What makes me so sure?  I believe when we are no threat to the enemy, he leaves us alone for the most part.  As long as we are nominal Christians and are lukewarm in our faith, we don’t pose a threat to him…and we definitely are not helping Christianity.  But as soon as we start making commitments and getting serious, Satan notices.  He tries to squash our new-found energy in faith as quickly as possible.  And that’s exactly what happened to me today.

Someone from my past called me today – or rather this person “butt dialed” me.  If you are unfamiliar with the term “butt dial,” it is when someone’s phone moves around in their pocket or purse and accidentally calls someone.  The recipient answers and just hears background noise or even hears the person who is calling talking in the background.  And being that my first name is “Amy,” you might be surprised how often I receive these calls.  Well, I was certain this person from my past accidentally called as I had 90 seconds of what sounded like paper shuffling…and no I didn’t listen to the whole 90 seconds.  But I was concerned.  I hadn’t spoken to this person in several months and what if they were locked in a trunk somewhere trying to reach anyone?  But I didn’t want to get pulled back into this person’s drama.  So – I texted them.  Just a quick – hey did you try to get a hold of me or just accidentally call?  They texted back an apology and said they must have called getting into their vehicle…and how have I been? 

A simple question – but for me this is where the temptation started.  A quick – I’m doing ok, staying busy, how are you?  They said ok, mentioned they were still looking for work.  Before I knew it I had typed a question and hit send…what was I doing?  I’m trying not to get pulled back in!  One more question not to see uncaring (I’m a pastor after all) and I was done.  I had typed one more question…but then deleted it and let it go. 

This may not seem like a big deal, but I feel like I have won a war!!  This off and on dramatic relationship with this person has been going on for far too long and I had been doing so well…I can’t get sucked back in…especially on an accident.  Though I don’t really believe it was an accident – I believe Satan is trying to get me off kilter.  But it’s not going to work!!  Not this time!!!

People often misquote today’s passage and say God will never give you more than you can handle or tempt you more than you can handle.  That’s not exactly right – it does say he will always give you a way out, that you may endure.  For me the way out was just to stop texting, not ask any more questions.  When temptation comes your way – it’s easy to say “just don’t do it,” often that is easier said than done.  God gives us a way out – but we have a choice.  Either give in to temptation and sin, or take God’s way out and have victory over sin!!!  Let me tell you – I’m flying high instead of feeling defeated tonight because I made a tough call.  The next time temptation comes your way, remember how you felt last time after you gave in…after “the fun” ended.  Remember the pain and the heartache and seek God’s way out.  You can do it!! I have faith in you!!  The Holy Spirit will give you strength if you just ask!!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Matthew 14

Matthew 14:28-33  And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."  ²⁹ He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.  ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me."  ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"  ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  ³³ And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Today I had the privilege of meeting with a good friend and colleague.  I was sharing my joys and concerns, my growths and my frustration…and this friend called me out on a few things.  (We all need a good friend who can call us out!)  My friend challenged me to go even deeper in my relationship with God, even deeper in letting go, even deeper in craziness with Jesus.  I felt like complaining, “but I’ve come so far…even in the last few months.”  But I didn’t.  I know my friend spoke the truth. 

God is calling us to dive even deeper.  We’ve been Cohorts in Craziness since the end of April, but we need to get crazier.  We need to lose self even more.  We need to care less about what one another thinks and more about what God thinks.  We need to seek Him more.  We need to praise Him more. We just need more of Him and less of us.

What is keeping you from total abandonment?  Are you fearful of what He might require?  What others might think?  The unknown?  Pray for God to open your eyes to any obstacles between you and being a “complete nut” for Him.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to miss out on anything God has…I want to walk on water!  I want you to walk on water with me!

Let’s get crazy!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

John 15

John 15:1-11  "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.  ² Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  ³ Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.  ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  ⁶ If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.  ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  ⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.  ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.  ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.  ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

For the past couple of months, there has been a plant on the kitchen table.  I’m not even really sure where it came from or how it ended up there, but there is sits.  In the beginning, it was pretty sad.  It only had a few branches and a handful of leaves.  Honestly, it looked half-dead.  Well, I took it on as a project.  I’ve been watering it and pruning the dead leaves and branches.  Some days I don’t really pay too much attention, but as I look at it now, it is much fuller and greener.  I didn’t really notice it growing, but it definitely is now healthier compared to when it first appeared.  A little TLC and a little time and the plant has come back to life and even grown!

Our spiritual journey is very similar to this plant.  Sometimes we start to feel like we aren’t growing or making any progress.  Sometimes we have neglected our spiritual life and we begin to wither and die on the vine.  Be encouraged, no matter where you are, with a little TLC and a little time, you will come back to life and begin to grow again!

Abide in our Lord daily, start again today if necessary, and you will bear much fruit!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Genesis 1

Genesis 1:26-27  Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."  ²⁷ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

A few weeks ago I completed Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath.  This is a book with an assessment the reader can complete to find their strengths.  The premise of this book is instead of looking for your weaknesses and improving upon them, it encourages you to discover your natural strengths and work from where you are most comfortable.

After completing the assessment you are given your top five areas of strength.  Mine were no surprise; responsibility, maximize, belief, strategic, and learner.  As I read through the descriptions of each of the categories, it was almost eerie how spot on each of the descriptors was.  Though, each of these strengths has to do with process and tasks…doing something and doing it better. 

The more I thought about my results, the more bothered I became.  None of these strengths has anything to do with people.  None of these strengths has anything to do with compassion or caring.  I came to realize while these may be some of my strengths, these are not my only strengths.  This assessment tries to pigeonhole individuals into categories instead of realizing we are very complicated individuals…just like our Creator.

God is triune – He is three in one…Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  All are God, but yet He is God.  He is a loving God – loving us so much He sent His Son to die for us on the cross.  He is a wrathful God – vindicating His children.  He is a merciful God – forgiving our sin when we humble ourselves and ask.  He is a just God – not being swayed from the Law and always doing what is right.  God is complicated.  He has many hats that He wears.  If we are made in His image, why are we so surprised that we are complicated as well?

We all have strengths that come natural to us.  We all have areas that become strengths because of growth over time.  We are constantly learning, adapting, and growing.  We aren’t the same as we were a year ago and through experience and life we will be different a year from now.  We can’t let some assessment or test tell us who we are.  That’s only a snapshot – it’s not the whole picture.  People like to judge and categorize us – but we are more than that.  On the other side – we need to make sure and not categorize others.

We are amazing…and complicated.  You are made in His image!! And don’t forget it!! J

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

2 Peter 3

2 Peter 3:8-10  But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  ⁹ The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

It’s interesting – the past couple of days a certain topic keeps coming up in conversations that I have.  People definitely have their opinions about this one.  The Church as a whole is very divided over this topic.  In fact, The Church has been known to slander and physically harm those of the opposing camp.  Not our finest moment.  Why can’t we all just get along?

The argument?  Calvinism vs. Armenianism.  The Elect vs. Free Will.  Both of these theological viewpoints have Biblical support.  The Bible does talk about the elect and those who are the chosen.  It also talks about choice and our passage today states that God desires all to come to repentance.  Christians sometimes spend so much time arguing with one another that we miss opportunities to reach the lost.  We focus on developing a better argument than our opposition that those outside the church just see us as dysfunctional.

But at the end of the day we all agree that we are made in God’s image.  We all agree in the trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We all agree that Jesus died for our sins on the cross.  We all agree that Jesus is the only way to Salvation.  So, again I ask why can’t we all just get along?

If we can just stop trying “to win” this argument and start partnering to win the world, that would be a huge win for The Kingdom.  I think we should continue to seek out new ways to partner with churches in our area that are of different denominations.  I love the quote from Peter Meiderlin (a 17^th century Lutheran Pietist), “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”  If we focus on the main thing, everything else will fall into place.

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Deuteronomy 31

Deuteronomy 31:1-6  So Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel.  ² And he said to them, "I am 120 years old today. I am no longer able to go out and come in. The LORD has said to me, 'You shall not go over this Jordan.'  ³ The LORD your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, as the LORD has spoken.  ⁴ And the LORD will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them.  ⁵ And the LORD will give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you.  ⁶ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you."

The other day I was helping a friend at work plan for an event.  I love to plan!  I love to think about possible challenges we might face and how to overcome those issues before they even happen.  I enjoy thinking quick on my feet when something comes up we hadn’t foreseen.  Sometimes though, even the best laid plans aren’t successful; an outside event is ruined because of rain, all that hard work and no one shows up, someone you depend on doesn’t complete their part.

We can rest assured thought that God is also a planner.  Time and time again in Scripture God reveals there is no need to worry or fret because He already has the next steps planned out.  Moses’ time was coming to an end, God had already appointed and trained up the next generation of leadership.  God had the next tasks already planned out and promised to go before the Israelites to get things started.  The Israelites had nothing to worry during this time of transition.  Nothing was going to fall through the cracks because God was in control.

God is still in control.  He still goes before us and prepares the way.  He still goes with us every step of the way.  He will still not leave us or forsake us.  He still has a plan and He is working it out.  Be encouraged!  God’s got your back and He already knows how He is going to work it out.  We just have to trust in Him and follow His lead.  Where is He leading you today?

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

John 10

John 10:10  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Do you ever have those mornings when the alarm goes off and you kind of groan, wishing it wasn’t time to get up yet?  Maybe you’ve got a big meeting or appointment you really don’t want to go to.  Or maybe you’re not prepared for that meeting or appointment.  Maybe you don’t like your job and you really wish you didn’t have to go in to work today.  Or maybe you’re just tired and would like another hour of sleep!

There are also those mornings when you wake up before your alarm.  The sun is shining and you feel well rested.  You realize the potential of the day and are excited to get going.  There is so much to do, you decide to shut your alarm off and get up early!

So – what’s the difference?  Unless you truly are physically tired, it’s all about outlook…it’s a choice.  We can either face the day with dread or we can face the day with excitement.  We can hurry up and get the day over so we can go back to bed or we can carefully maneuver through the day looking for what God might have for us to accomplish.

You have a choice today – are you going to let the thief steal your joy or are you going to live life abundantly?

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Psalm 139

Psalm 139:13-16   For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.  ¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.  ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.  ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

As many of you know, today is my birthday!  My birthday has become a time of reflection for me.   I think about what I have accomplished so far in my life.  How God has blessed me over the past year.  I reminisce through the struggles that God has brought me through and I also think about where He is leading me this coming year.  I think about how I am closer to God than I was this time last year, but I could probably be closer.  I think about goals…some I commit to, others stay on “the bucket list” for now.  (Like running that marathon…not sure I’m ready yet.  J)

As I get older, I begin to wonder if I’m about half-way through life; though tomorrow is never promised for any of us.  I try not to think about it too much.  I do rest in knowing that God already knows – before I was born He knew all the days that I would be alive.  He knows what I’ll accomplish.  And He’s rooting for me!

Instead of thinking about how many days I might have left, we all need to focus on today.  We need to live for today – if we worry about tomorrow and how many more tomorrow’s we might have, we can become paralyzed.  What does God want me to do today?  Did I spend time with Him today?  Do I know Him better than I did yesterday?  Seek God and follow Him!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Romans 8

Romans 8:1-8  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  ² For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.  ³ For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,  ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  ⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.  ⁶ For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.  ⁷ For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.  ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

This week we have been looking at different freedoms we have because we belong to Jesus.  It’s kind of strange to say that we are free from death because all of us will eventually die – at least our bodies will die.  I have oftentimes heard people in the hospital who are Christians say they are not afraid to die…they are just afraid of the process.  They are afraid of pain and the unknown.

Because of Jesus we do not have to fear death because at our death, we are alive with Christ.  Honestly – I’m not really sure how that will work, but if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, He has fulfilled the requirement from the law and you will live forever with Him.

Because of Jesus – we are free from death!  Praise Him today because of our freedom!!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Matthew 6

Matthew 6:25-34  "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  ²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,  ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 

³⁴ "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Many of us struggle with control.  We like to be in control.  We like to plan on when to get up in the morning, decide what to wear and what to eat, and we like to drive the quickest way possible to school or work…and then we hit construction or there is an accident – and we are no longer in control.  We have to wait or detour and our plans are thrown out the window

…and we begin to worry.  We’re going to be late.  We’re going to get into trouble because we are going to be late.  I’m going to miss my first meeting or I’m going to be late for that meeting and have to walk in late.  I’m going to have to explain why I’m late.  Ugh!  We worry and become anxious over something we have no control over. 

Truly we never had control.  We like to think we are in control, but God truly is in control.  We have a choice – we can either try to be in control and worry and be anxious or we can trust Him and rest in His arms knowing that He’s got everything under control (which is way easier said than done). 

Because of Jesus – we are free from worry and anxiety!  Praise Him today because of our freedom!!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Philippians 3

Philippians 3:12-16  Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,  ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  ¹⁵ Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.  ¹⁶ Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

I was talking with someone the other day about salvation and the gift of Jesus dying on our behalf.  They were asking a few questions here and there, but not really saying much.  Finally, I asked this person what was holding them back from making a decision for Christ.  This person looked at me and as a tear rolled down their cheek, they said, “If you only knew what I have done, what my past looks like.”  My heart wrenched for them and I shared today’s verse with them.  I told them that as we seek forgiveness, God not only forgives, but chooses to forget our past sins.  The challenge comes in that we need to forgive ourselves.

We are often our toughest critic.  We may have asked for forgiveness several times for something, but we can’t let it go.  We can’t move on.  We need God’s help in forgiving ourselves.  We need His help in “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.”  Sometimes this process does take time, sometimes we have to talk with a trusted friend…but be assured – there is nothing too big for God to forgive and He is not keeping a record of what we have done wrong. 

Because of Jesus – we are free from our past!  Praise Him today because of our freedom!!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

John 8

John 8:31-38  So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,  ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  ³³ They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?" 

³⁴ Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.  ³⁵ The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.  ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  ³⁷ I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you.  ³⁸ I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father."

Romans 3:22-25 tells us, “For there is no distinction:  23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,  25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.”  We are all sinners.  We have all missed the mark.  Oftentimes we like to soften the blow and say that we have all made mistakes or done things we wished we hadn’t, but Scripture doesn’t say that we are all “mistakers” is says we are sinners.  We have all sinned.  We have all grieved God because of our sin.  We have all been separated from God by our sin.

But the good news of Jesus Christ is that if we accept Him as Lord, we are free from our sin.  We just have to ask God to forgive us and He will.  We are free from sin.  Well – we can be free from sin.  We still have a choice whether to sin or not.  Once we are saved and the Holy Spirit is living within us, we have the ability to be free from sin.  When we come to the point of sinning – we can decide to go ahead and sin or we can walk away from that sin.  The Holy Spirit within us gives us the power to walk away.  Even from that secret sin that no one else knows about.  Even from that sin that you have been living with for years.  You have the power to walk away and enjoy a life free from sin!  Ask God for His help and you will be set free.  No sin is too big or too challenging for God.  He will help you overcome.

What sin in your life do you need to be set free from?  What is keeping you from being free from that sin?  I can guarantee no sin is as enjoyable as freedom.

Because of Jesus – we are free from sin!  Praise Him today because of our freedom!!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

2 Timothy 1

2 Timothy 1:6-7  For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,  ⁷ for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

In life, we all have dreams and ambitions.  We all have things we would like to do or accomplish.  We have people we would like to meet, places we would like to go, things we would like to try, but for one reason or another, we haven’t.  Some of you are probably thinking the opportunity hasn’t arisen yet.  Others may be thinking you just haven’t had the time…maybe when the kids move out, maybe when your finances are in better shape, maybe when you retire, maybe, maybe, maybe…

I think one of the main roots of why we don’t do the things on our list is because of fear.  We are afraid to fail.  We are afraid to make a fool of ourselves.  We are afraid of what others will think.  Fear is holding us back.

I love today’s passage.  The word “fear” in the Greek is “deilias - deili,aj” and is only used in the New Testament once – in this passage.  It means cowardice, timidity, or fear.  This is not the spirit we are given.  We are given power (dunamis - du,namij…where we get our word dynamite from), love (agape - avga,ph…unconditional love), and self-control (sophronismos - swfronismo,j…self-discipline, sound judgment, prudence).

I feel like God is saying – look, I’m only going to tell you once, so catch this!  You are not made for cowardice or timidity!!  You have power like dynamite, the ability to love unconditionally, and the capacity to possess sound judgment.  Now go out there and follow my lead!!

So what are you waiting for?  We aren’t called to live a life of fear; we are called to live a life of freedom!  “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Because of Jesus – we are free from fear!  Praise Him today because of our freedom!!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Hebrews 9

I can hardly believe it is July 1. It seems like we just started the year, just had Ash Wednesday, Easter was just a few weeks ago, right?  This year is officially half over.  The 4^th of July is Wednesday!  For our family, the 4^th of July is a big family holiday.  All family comes home and we have a blast!  Games will be played, lots of food will be eaten, and we will laugh like crazy.  We are able to enjoy one another’s company because we are free.

This week we are going to look at freedom – what we are free from as Christians.  For one – I am so excited to be born after Jesus has come.  I can’t imagine living in the Old Testament times, having to sacrifice animals all the time to cover my sin; having to offer friendship offerings, burnt offerings, drink offerings, wave offerings – it all seems so tiresome and confusing.  Praise God that Jesus came to Earth and became the final offering.  His was the final blood that needed to be shed.

We are free from the old covenant and now live under the new covenant!  We are able to approach God any time we like, not just once a year through the High Priest.  We are able to seek forgiveness for our sins, not just cover them up.  While we still need to have reverence for God, we are able to have a personal relationship with Him and not be separated from Him by our sin.

Because of Jesus – we are free!  Praise Him today because of our freedom!!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy