We are reminded repeatedly in God’s word worry has no place in the life of a believer, which at times leaves me worried that I’m worried too often! But it doesn’t have to be so.

While planning for the future is time well spent (Luke 14:28-33), stressing over the future is time thoroughly wasted. You and I know this, yet we can find ourselves gripped with anxiety because our hope for tomorrow is often crippled by the fear of the “what if.” And today gets lost in the process.

How fortunate we are that the Lord doesn’t leave us with empty hope. We don’t need to hang around a wishing well, we get to lay our fear at the feet of the One who has our very lives in His hands. He will take care of us today and He’ll take care of us tomorrow, if and when we get there. This morning, join me in taking every fear and every worrisome thought to Him in prayer. Let’s choose to face this day hand-in-hand with the Lord.

Jeff Deal

Purity, meaning something not tainted by any outside influence, is something that is difficult to find in the world today.

So it is with our hearts. There are so many things that get in there that seek to corrupt and divide our loyalties. The heart is a tricky thing. Jeremiah 17 tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” So to be “pure in heart” means to realize that our hearts can’t be trusted, that we can’t mix our desires with godly ones and come out with pure motives.

Purity of heart has everything to do with motive and nothing to do with behavior, but though this battle is fought within us inwardly, the victory can be seen in our outward actions. Jesus tells us that the blessed ones are those who seek God’s heart, because they will see God, and His heart and motives will be within them, and just maybe then others may see God and His heart through their actions.

Pastor Doug Hardin

It is important that we are not placing ourselves in areas where we are going to be led to sin. If you struggle with sin in a certain area in your life, don’t put yourself in an area that feeds that struggle. Often we place ourselves in those situations and after we fall into sin, we wonder how it happened. When we make provisions for the flesh, it will devour us. Instead, we are told to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. When you feel yourself being drawn to an area of struggle, cry out to the Lord and run the other way.

For the King,

Daniel Batistelli

There are a lot of things in life that make us feel separated from God’s love. Sin can definitely make us feel isolated, alone, and abandoned even when the Lord is still with us and He still loves us. Notice how Paul leaves no option for something or someone that can separate us from God’s love. I encourage you as you read this to meditate upon these verses so you can be like Paul, persuaded there is nothing that can separate you from the love of our Father which we find in Jesus Christ.

Blessings,

Pastor Sean Boehm

Knowing that the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives within you removes all excuses. Maybe you think you can’t share your faith because you don’t know enough verses or you lack boldness. Maybe you believe that you can’t live a victorious life over sin because you don’t have enough discipline. Whatever excuses you have are garbage in light of this verse. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you and empowers you to overcome any excuse you may have. On your own you can do nothing, but God has not left you to yourself. He has put Himself in you through the Spirit and we are to walk in the power that the Spirit gives us. No more excuses, it is time to live out our faith.

For the King,

Daniel Batistelli

The typical greeting in Israel to this day is Shalom, peace. That is the word the psalmist uses here to declare that God’s blessing to His followers, to His people, is Shalom, peace. The word itself is translated many ways depending on the context: safety, happy, friendly, welfare, and rest. One wonderful fruit of a walk with God is peace in our lives, a rest and safety and sense of wellness that He alone provides. No matter what comes my way, the Lord is with me. Today, may our Lord bless you with His Shalom, a gift and provision from God.

Peace out!

Pastor Jack Abeelen

After being told to be strong in the strength of the Lord and put on the whole armor of God to fight the battle against our enemy, Paul goes on to share each part of the armor of God. The first piece of armor we are to put on to fight this fight is the belt of truth.

Technically speaking, the belt is not a piece of armor that protects but rather a device that prepared the soldier better for battle. A Roman soldier would wear a tunic underneath his protective armor. But the tunic needed to be tucked into the waist in order to have full mobility going into battle.

As Christians, we need to be prepared first by having knowledge of the truth. Without a good understanding of biblical truth, we are ill prepared to refute false teachers and worldly philosophies or other false gospels. Not only are we to know the truth but also we are to gird our minds with it, meaning to have an attitude of truthfulness. It is a mindset of readiness, a commitment to the truth that prepares us for the battle ahead. We won’t be hindered or encumbered by things that would distract us from the truth.

Did you put your belt on today?

Pastor Jason Witt

Here in Deuteronomy 32, Moses is essentially singing a song to the assembly of Israel. He says, “For I proclaim the name of the Lord: Ascribe greatness to our God.” He gives this perfect description of God in his praise to Him. He is a rock, solid and strong. Everything that God does is perfect, He has no flaws. He’s just and a God of truth and righteousness.

Sometimes when we sing praise and worship songs in church, I just can’t help thinking about who God is. I listen to the words and praise Him for who He is and I praise Him for the work that He does in my life. Join me in the praise and worship of our God.

Joshua Navarro

Joshua was facing his final days on the Earth, and he longed earnestly to impart wise counsel to God’s people. In the preceding years, the Lord had well provided for Israel. They were free, they were at peace, and they were blessed with God’s promises of more good things to come. But Joshua knew the danger of complacency.

Loving God is an ongoing choice to daily pursue the object of our affection. If approached carelessly, the intimate relationship that we enjoy with our Maker can easily be allowed to weaken over time, as we turn our attention to other pursuits. That’s why Joshua warns us to watch out. To pay attention. To choose wisely.

Let’s make an effort this day to take careful heed to ourselves and seek to be ever closer to the Lord our God. Heavenly Father, keep the fire of love burning in our souls, hotter and brighter, as we direct the devotion of our hearts to you.

Jeff Deal

Paul is telling us three things. He begins by saying, the Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit. In other words, the Spirit is telling us that we are children of God. And if we are children of God, then we also are joint heirs with Christ. Indeed, we suffer with Him. In other words, if we stick to the course and not drop out we can be glorified together with Christ.

You can’t compare what is coming ahead with what you may be going through now. You might be suffering and think “why God?” but Paul is telling us, hang in there, because when it’s over, there will be glory, sweet glory!

Joshua Navarro