Lots of people tend to fool themselves into thinking that they are pleasing the Lord simply by displaying some outward religious tasks like going to church or wearing a cross around their neck. The list is extensive concerning things people “sacrifice for God.” But sacrifice doesn’t mean anything unless your heart is turned to God. A heart that is turned to God is one that God delights in because there is a relationship of love that is established. A love that motivates a person to bless, not prove the relationship.

Jesus in Matthew 15, with the religious in mind, quotes Isaiah the prophet, saying “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”

The Lord desires us to know Him and love Him and as a result of the relationship we have, our good deeds follow. However, the wicked who sometimes even appear to be very religious, work hard at trying to “look good” due to following certain rules, but their heart is far from God and they deceive themselves.

It always comes back to the heart with God. Make sure your heart is right with Him before you go about today’s activities.

Pastor Jason Witt

Reading through chapter four of 1 Samuel is pretty sad. We read in verse 2, Israel was defeated by the Philistines. The children figured, we need the ark! That will give us victory. So they bring the ark back, they cheer, and that makes the Philistines afraid. But then you read Israel was defeated and Eli’s two sons died. Then we read one of the messengers got away, tells Eli that his sons are dead, and then he dies as well. And the chapter continues to get worse.

What strikes me as interesting was that the Philistines were afraid when they heard that the ark was back in their possession all because of what they have heard. All that fear was for nothing because they still defeated Israel. But instead of giving up and turning to the Lord, they ask an almost obvious question, who will save us?

It’s nice knowing that our enemies fear our God. What’s not nice, is them not knowing that they can turn to Him for salvation and they too can have a relationship with the one true God. That they can say “I’m going to pray and ask God for forgiveness because I want what He has.”

May my enemies turn to Him because of what they’ve heard.

Joshua Navarro

As Nehemiah hears of all the trouble that has come upon God’s people because of their disobedience, one thing stands out to me. You do not find Nehemiah appealing to God with a promise to do better. He doesn’t pray, “Oh God, we promise if you help us, we will be faithful and obey you from now on!” Instead he relies on God’s promises to His people, found in the scriptures, and he prays, “Lord, I remember what you said to Moses, That if the people are unfaithful You would discipline us and scatter us among the nations. But You also said that if we return to You and keep Your commandments, even though we are scattered, You would bring us back together to the place were You put Your name, to Jerusalem.”

Nehemiah knew God’s word, His commandments, and His promises, and it became the hope that he was able to stand upon. We can make commitments and promises to God that we will do better when we have gone astray, but it’s far better to trust upon God’s promise to restore those who repent and turn to Him.

So know God’s word, His commandments, and His promises. They will be a standard for you to live by, a foundation for you to stand on, and a place to run in times of trouble.

Pastor Doug Hardin

Is it just me or does it seem we no longer know what love is? We love our families and our friends, but we also love pizza and other inanimate objects that cannot reciprocate love. Here John tells us how we know what love is, because Jesus gave His life for ours. John goes further by telling us that Jesus’ sacrifice should motivate us to lay down our own lives.

More often than not, laying down our lives looks more like laying down our rights. It is giving your time when you could be doing something better. It is following after the example of Jesus and becoming a servant to all. Jesus shows us that love is a giving of yourself, are you willing to make the sacrifice?

For the King,

Pastor Daniel Batistelli

There are many things that can keep us down in life. A lot of people fear death because they don’t know what is going to happen after they die. For us as Christians, we know the truth, we will be with the Lord forever or, if we don’t have that personal relationship with God, it is an eternity apart from Him.

Paul knew these truths and that drove his perspective as he writes to the Philippian church and it should help us consider our focus. Paul is pretty much saying, “If I am alive, I will live for Jesus! If I die, I gain Jesus!” For us as Christians it’s a win-win. While we are here on earth, we get to tell everyone about Jesus in hopes they would come to know Him and if we die, we are eternally with Jesus. Be strong, Christian soldier, and remember this wonderful truth that we have from the Lord.

Resting in Him,

Pastor Sean Boehm

Philip was in the zenith of his ministry in the big bustling city of Samaria. The Spirit had directed him through persecution to that area. Now He commands him with the help of an angel to go from the palm trees of Samaria to the barren sands of the desert. And this major interruption came into Philip’s life for the sake of one person. If that doesn’t show the heart and love of God, I don’t know what does. But part of why God could use Philip in this way is because in his heart he had already crossed a huge prejudicial barrier by ministering faithfully to the hated Samaritans.

Is your heart open today to anyone God may call you to minster to? He may just interrupt your routine, or even shake your world for the sake of one lost soul. Will you go?

Lord, help me to be willing,

Pastor Gerard Deleeuw

The report of the prophet Samuel’s birth, how it came to be, and how God used the process to capture the heart of a mother and father to reveal His will to them is worth another look. This morning, let me give you the outline for those 21 verses in chapter 3 and today, read them for yourself. You could entitle the chapter: Discovering God’s plans for me.

1 Samuel 3:1 Be faithful in the little things and seek to please God in private. Be diligent even when God is silent.

1 Samuel 3:2-10 Wait for God to open doors for you, preparation takes time!

1 Samuel 3:11-14 Be ready to listen and obey.

1 Samuel 3:15-18 Share all of God’s Word in love.

1 Samuel 3:19-20 Stay teachable and faithful to declare only God’s Word and not your own.

1 Samuel 3:21 Let God establish you, do not seek a position for yourself, simply seek the Lord.

May the Lord show you His will for your life,

Pastor Jack Abeelen

The first three verses of Genesis 12 record the Abrahamic covenant in which God, amongst other things, commands Abram to leave his country for a new homeland. Abram journeyed to Canaan and at Schechem, the Lord told Abram that He will give his descendants the land. Abram continued sojourning in the land, but ultimately ended up in Egypt for a time due to a severe famine. In chapter 13, Abram returned from Egypt, and made his way back to Bethel, which is where he first made an altar to the Lord back in chapter 12. At this point, strife arises between Abram and his nephew Lot because the land could not support both of their herds and possessions.

Abram has a choice to make. He can either exercise his authority and send Lot away because Abram knows that God has promised him the land, or he can by faith and obedience put the interest of others first (Philippians 2:4) and let Lot make the choice of which area of land to inhabit. Abram chose the latter option, knowing that God is faithful. Lot ended up choosing the plain of the Jordan and he journeyed east (Genesis 13:11). Abram ended up right where the Lord wanted him, and the Lord confirmed to Abram that the land would be his and his descendants forever (Genesis 13:14).

What a blessing it is to know that God is faithful to His promises, even if it seems they’ll disrupt what we think His plans are for our life. Lord grant us the faith to continually walk with You, relying on You every step of the way.

Jeff Mericle

Condemnation is the deadly and awful bullet that Jesus took for us, and I don’t think we can entirely appreciate this unless we realize the immensity of this extraordinary gift. Condemnation is being on the receiving end of the just wrath of an infinitely-powerful God. Hell is where there is a fire that shall never be quenched and where the worm will never die. Hell is a place of torment, an outer darkness where there will be constant weeping and gnashing of teeth. And there are chains in this darkness. And it is forever.

Condemnation is the just punishment for preferring the fleeting pleasures of sin over fullness of joy.You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11). If we can grasp the magnitude of our frequent offenses against God, only then can we appreciate what Jesus did for us in taking the full fury of the wrath of God upon Himself, and rescuing us from the punishment we deserved. When it dawns on us that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, there should spring from our souls a flood of gratitude and praise to God for the glory of His grace.

Tom Day

We are all pretty familiar with story of David and Goliath. We know that Goliath was basically calling out the children of Israel for some time now. No one was willing to approach him because of fear. Then David comes out and says, “I’ll go.” His only qualification was he tended his father’s sheep and when a lion or bear would take a lamb, he’d kill it.

Today is no different. Everywhere we go, we get people talking down on God’s people. We have people living the way they want and mocking our God. We fail to stand up for God and for what is right. I know that is sometimes the case with me. A few months ago, I was out with my family and a group of young kids were using some choice words that I did not agree with. I wish I could say I went up and talked with them and they all got saved but instead of going out and talking with them, I did what the children of Israel did: “Who’s going to go up and do something?”

I want to be like David. Stand up to the enemy and share with them God’s word even when it looks like I might lose.

Joshua Navarro