John 15:6
If we’re driving down the road and see a sign that says “Bridge Out,” it’s good to heed the warning. This verse is definitely one of those “Bridge Out” type of warnings. This is not a reference to salvation but refers to our earthly usefulness in bearing fruit. Jesus is giving us a simple formula: abide in Christ or we won’t be useful for the Kingdom. He gave a vivid illustration of this with the Parable of the Talents. Obviously the last servant who buried his one talent was not abiding or connected to the master. Jesus also warned in the Sermon on the Mount that as salt of the earth we could lose our flavor.
The solution is simple; walk in His steps, love as He loves, serve as He serves, go where He goes, and every road will have a solid bridge to cross.
Heeding the warning,
Pastor Gerard Deleeuw
Jeremiah 42:2-3
The above verses are spoken by Azariah, the son of Hoshaiah and other leaders. They certainly seemed sincere and genuinely seemed to want God’s guidance. Yet Jeremiah 43:2 says, And all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.’”
Chapters 42 and 43 are Jeremiah’s ministry in a nutshell. In Chapter 42, a group of leaders came to Jeremiah and said, “Whatever you tell us, we’ll do” and then after Jeremiah gave them instructions, including not to go to Egypt, this same group said, “You’re lying! The Lord would never say that!”
I’ve encountered the same thing counseling. I’ve listened to the situation and then given what God says about it in His word. Many times, the person or people I’m counseling will say something like “That doesn’t work for us, there must be another way” and like the leaders above, go off to Egypt, or the world, to look for answers.
If we’re going to live a blessed life, we have to take God’s word as truth and follow it even if it’s hard to do.
Keep me out of the world!
Pastor Ron Kitchell
Matthew 4:19-20
Matthew 4 records the calling of four of the apostles to following the Lord full-time and Luke 5 gives us further information about that day. These men were fishermen, successful ones. But on this morning, Jesus reveals Himself to Peter and the rest as the coming Messiah and each of them immediately left their businesses and fishing boats and nets behind to answer His call. He told them He would make them fishers of men!
In reality, that is truly the work of the Lord for the church today. We are called to make Him known, to go out into the world and talk about Jesus, Who He is and why He has come. Today see yourself as a fisher of men. Are you catching anything? Is your line in the water? Getting any nibbles? What kind of bait are you using? Praying that you might become a very successful fishermen as God sends you forth today for His glory!
Wanting to make a great catch!
Pastor Jack Abeelen
1 Samuel 17: 45- 46a
The question of purpose is one that David answered at a young age. You have heard the story of David and Goliath: the Israeli army was outmatched and taunted by a literal giant of a man. That’s when David, a young, inexperienced shepherd boy, showed up. It didn’t take long before he was so outraged and offended by Goliath’s taunting of the Israelite army, that he volunteered to fight.
What moved David to act in such a way to risk his life? David knew the freedom and liberty of his people were at stake. He probably also thought about the impact a loss would have on the people he loved. But there was something more – something greater that moved David from the sidelines to the front line. The final straw was hearing Goliath taunt and shame the One True Living God. The honor and name of God were at stake and that was what moved David to action.
Where are you headed and why? What motivates you to get up in the morning? Is it wealth, career, accomplishment, family? I challenge you to put all that second to pursuing God. Put God before work, hobbies, friends, and even family, and ask Him for clarity. Ask God for direction. Ask Him for purpose. Imagine what would happen if this next generation pursued God’s passions before all else – it could be world-changing in American history.
Pastor William Del Casale
2 Corinthians 4:16
Paul experienced many things that could have caused him to lose his motivation for ministry, but didn’t give up because of the certainty of his own future resurrection (2 Corinthians 4:14). Here he acknowledges the temporal and finite nature of all human flesh, and the hard life that he has lived has most likely accelerated the breakdown of his own body.
While the outward man, our physical nature, is on the decline, the inward man, our spiritual nature, is not. Our spiritual nature lasts an eternity due to His daily renewal. It is not going to decay like the outward physical being. In 2 Corinthians 5:16-17, we are told that we are a new creation and that we are to no longer regard anyone according to the flesh. All things have become new and this “newness” is renewed continually. Our sinful selves, as long as we are clothed with our flesh, fights against the newness. Therefore we must choose to live the newness by putting on the new man (Ephesians 4:23-24). God’s mercies and renewing are new every day. When we have stumbled, we can get up and start afresh, and as we submit daily to His sanctification of our lives, He will build us into the men and women that He desires us to be.
Jeff Mericle
Acts 4:36
As the apostles were ministering, they gave this brother Joses a nickname, and it wasn’t “Hot Shot” or “Skippy.” His nickname was given as a description of his heart, the kind of man that the apostles saw him as, he was an encourager.
People get nicknamed for various reasons, maybe because of their physical attributes or their personalities. And based on what the apostles visibly saw in Barnabas in the way he treated his family and others, the words that he chose to use in conversations between services, the faith that was manifested during the tough times, they called him the encourager.
You might ask yourself….”I wonder what my nickname would be if the people at Morningstar were to pick one?” What do you think? Would it be flattering or not?
When it comes down to it, to be nicknamed “the encourager” is way up there. That’s what the apostles saw in his life and that is what I hope others see in our lives.
Seeking to glorify Him,
Rich Kikuchi
Psalm 119:116
When the Word of God is your authority and passion, your prayers will start to resemble King David’s in Psalm 119. The Word was never intended by God to be merely supplemental to the betterment of your life or just another resource that provides helpful guidance. The Word of God is everything to our understanding of God and how we approach all of life.
There were people that were out to get David, and that’s a scary place to live, especially when what they don’t like about you is your adherence to God, His Word, and His will. I believe that is why David coupled this prayer with, “Do not let me be ashamed of my hope.” Despite knowing that the truth is our life, there is a temptation at times to break from the truth when we know it will cost us. It doesn’t always feel safe to follow God’s Word, hence there is a temptation at times to break from the truth when we know it will cost us.
But we must redefine what safety means as a believer. Safety is not always physical protection, although at times it can provide that, but true safety is being united with God. As those who claim the truth, may we never be ashamed of the truth because it is our hope, it is our safety, it is our Savior (John 1:1-5,14).
Pastor Jason Witt
Proverbs 28:13
Confessing your sin is a big deal. You do not want to be walking around pretending that everything is fine. When you are in sin, you need to come clean before God. Sometimes you need to come clean with someone else so that they can love you and hold you accountable. Someone that will pray for you and encourage you to walk in holiness. This sometimes can feel like shame and you would rather just cover it up, but sin when it is full grown brings forth death (James 1:15).
In 1 John 1:9, it says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Do not wait, get right with God today!
Joshua Navarro
Acts 16:23-25
It’s midnight and Paul and Silas’ backs are beaten and bloody, their feet secured in stocks, their legs cramping, and they’re in the deepest, darkest hole in the prison, unsure of what tomorrow might bring. It’s a pretty bleak situation. So, what do they do? They pray and sing praises, hymns to God. Now the praying I understand, I would be praying like I never prayed before and though we aren’t told what they prayed, we do know it wasn’t a prayer of desperation and hopelessness. “God where are you? Why me? I thought you loved me?” It’s not even a prayer for deliverance because the opportunity will come to escape, but they stay.
I would venture to say that it was a prayer to God of thanksgiving. Paul would later write to these saints in Philippi, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7). They were able to pray, sing, and praise the Lord with thanksgiving because they knew they were in the will of God. They knew God’s promises to never leave them and they had one desire which was to serve their King with joy wherever He took them.
Pastor Doug Hardin
John 12:25
Did Jesus just say that we should walk around like a Debbie Downer and hate everything? The moral is not that we become hateful people, rather Jesus is warning us that our love for the things of this world should not exceed our love towards Him. You may never say the words “I love this more than I love God,” but your actions and how close you hold onto the things of this world may tell a different story. Many people will say they love the Lord, but they hold onto areas of their lives and will not let the Lord touch those things. It could be your house, a pet or a loved one.
Are there things you are struggling to entrust to the Lord? If God took those things away from you today, would your love towards Him fade? The rich young ruler loved God and was willing to follow all His ways, until he was told to sell everything that he had. His love for the things of this world kept him from following God. Instead, we should follow the example of Job. He lost everything but his wife, yet he still praised the Lord! Job’s love towards God exceeded everything he had, does yours?
For the King,
Pastor Daniel Batistelli
