"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
Proverbs 16:3

Setting goals for self-improvement each year is a personal process, the results of which we do not always care to share. While telling your spouse that you plan to get that life insurance policy (which is already way overdue) finalized right after the holidays holds you accountable, it also makes you feel lazier if February rolls around and you fail to make that call.

I have always recommended accountability partners and prayer partners. However, having someone who knows your wishes, wants, dreams, and needs, can be a blessing, but also a curse. Very few of us appreciate being held to account. We will always find more people in a larger group of worshipers versus a smaller group of learners. Small group Bible studies, Sunday school, and ladies' and men's groups are usually designed around discussion and, yes, the much-feared follow-up: "I hope they don't call on me." "I hope I don't have to report on my progress - or lack thereof."

If you are squared away, if you are driven, if you are goal-oriented and task-focused, this writing may not be helpful to you at all. If you do not need the start of the New Year to get you back on track, I congratulate you. Go back to work. Don't let the rest of us hold you back. Okay now that the perfectionists are back on task, us schlubs can try to find some help to keep us motivated and focused for more than the first ten days of the year.

This year, consider these Bible verses and have peace in knowing that if it is God's will for your resolution to be fulfilled, He will enable you to accomplish it. If it His will, then His Power is available. So stop going it alone. I have to drive to my gym. I do not simply walk into another room of my house. On my way there, I thank God for getting me out of the bed with health enough to go and a desire to try. Then I say, "God, I know it is Your will for me to be as healthy and fit as I can be, so, God, I am doing my part today. Please fuel my genes and cells to give me energy for the workout and help it to be productive."

To me, everything we set out to do has a faith/God component and a work/human component. Ask and trust Him to do His part as you strive to do yours.

1) Study with diligence
"Study to show yourself approved." (2 Timothy 2:15).
"Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you." (1 Peter 3:15).

2) Pray constantly 
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without hesitation." (James 1:5).
"You have not, because you ask not." (James 4:2).
Jesus said, "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours." (Mark 11:24).

I cannot emphasize enough the invaluable importance of Bible study and prayer regardless of your goal, task, need, etc.. Both lay the foundation to build everything upon. I assume that you are a little slack in both areas. Get this right first and watch the rest of your life fall into place.

3) Don't be discouraged by failures
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9).

4) Remember others are watching
"Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works and in your teaching show integrity and dignity." (Titus 2:7).

When working on any personal goals, it is critical to be well balanced and whole (as whole as possible). This may require us to love others, love and forgive ourselves, or help someone else instead of just focusing on yourself. A holistic approach to life is necessary to achieve our personal goals. Don't get so locked in on one thing that you lose sight of the big picture of what your life is with and in Christ. Make Him the most important part of your life and your life will be as perfect as it can be while still on this earth. You won't be perfect and neither will everything around you be perfect, but His fullness will complete you.



In Christ,
Pastor Todd

When houses are ripped from their foundations and young Christian campers are swept away to an unexpected and premature death, questions are asked.

When a fourteen year old boy confesses to a pornography addiction, when a seventy year old Deacon and church treasurer confesses to embezzling church funds, when an infant dies in a crib or an elder dies days before retirement, questions are asked.

When questions have no certain, clear, or obvious answers that do not seem like something one would only hear in Sunday School, it leaves us in a challenging place with our faith. Some simply are able to put their head down, set their jaw and carry on. Some simply cannot do that. They need help. They want answers that actually help them process their issue. Most do not want to nurse their grief, doubts, fears, failures, etc.. Most want to go on with God and be happy and content again. We have to learn how.

Someone told me once that the first time they laughed after a loved one died, it made them feel weird. If a person has to process laughter, they are in a place of uncertainty at best.

You got any questions today? Concerns over past stuff, doubts about today, and fears about tomorrow plague most of us at some point. You know what you are getting ready to read is Sunday Schoolish, but I believe it will be helpful, so read on, please:

Read Luke 5:1-11

I have no interest in "toiling all night and catching nothing" and yet so many wasteful, useless, fruitless hours pass each day, week, month and year. You know I am right. You have spun your wheels and accomplished little just like everyone has in this life. Oh, I am not talking so much about education, career building, wealth accumulation, making a name or leaving your mark, as fine as all that might be. I speak of real life-changing assets.

There is a difference between strength and power. Goliath has strength. David has power. There is a difference between influence and power. The Pharisees and High Priest had influence. Peter and the apostles had power after Pentecost.
There is a difference between the Holy Spirit merely indwelling the believer and filling them with His power.

There is a difference between praying to God and listening to God.

There is a difference between confessing one's sins and repenting from the same.

There is a difference between coming to church and worshiping the Lord.

There is a difference between wanting to go to heaven when you die and trusting God totally with everything, past, present and future.

There is a difference between having questions that you subconsciously hope there are no answers to so you can have an excuse to feel the way that you do, and having questions that you genuinely want answers to so that you can grow, be fruitful, happy and content.

We need Power. The kind of power that only God can give. Power that helps us process, not just ponder, the deep things of faith and life.

Read 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

I process the things I ponder with the help of the Holy Spirit, for I have been given the mind of Christ, as have you if you have been born again. The natural man/unsaved is clueless. Stop looking for answers to life's hard questions from people groping in the dark.

One more, if I may: there is a distinct difference from one who is saved and one who is not only saved, but spiritual. A spiritual person has intimacy with Christ and is sensitive to the Spirit's direction. God is constantly speaking; we are seldom listening. God is constantly working, does no evil, and always has our best in mind for us. You can trust Him. No temptation too great, no valley too deep, no question unanswerable. Some things take time. Evil is real, but God is good.

So, you waiting for the silver bullet? It ain't coming from me, is it? God is your answer. He will help you. Wait before the Lord and cry out unto Him. Open His Word and ask Him to speak. While you wait, stop speaking. Meditate! Pondering is part of the process, but processing is more than pondering. Processing requires discipline, study, prayer, patience, silence, faith, trust and hope.

The answer you seek might be in the next chapter. So keep digging. It might be the next sermon, so keep listening. Your answer already lies within, so wait on God to reveal it to you through His Comforter that He has blessed us with. He is called the Spirit of Truth and Jesus said He will guide you into all truth. Jesus also said, "All things that the Father has are mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of mine and declare it to you."



In Christ,
Pastor Todd

The two most critical doctrines that fit like hand and glove are the Holiness of our God and the Depravity of Man. I caution you to appreciate them together. If someone separates one to free the other, it makes God too unapproachable, especially if the Grace, Love, Mercy and Forgiveness of God are not offered as viable solutions to the divide. The challenge every Easter for the Bible teacher is what aspect of the vicarious substitutionary atonement of Christ deserves the most unpacking for their students. Every follower of Christ accepts and acknowledges that Jesus the Christ, Messiah, Lord and Savior died in the place of humanity, taking the punishment, guilt and shame for our sins so that man can be reconciled with a Holy God.

The question that looms in countless minds is why was it necessary and what does it mean to me now? How does His arrival in a manger, His sinless life, His teachings, His miracles, His commands, His suffering, His death, His burial, His resurrection and His promised return affect me today? How should we process what He did 2000 plus years ago? What does the statement we hear every year "He would have done it all if just for me" mean to how I live my life and make my preparations for the life to come?

We are masters at compartmentalization. I actually believe it is a gift from God. It, however, like many gifts, becomes abused. "Putting things in a box" is helpful and has kept scores from being swamped under the weight of all that life, the devil, and, yes, God, can throw at us - sometimes even all at once. When it comes to the teachings of Christ and the doctrines of the Word of God, I would advise keeping the art of "moving on" and "pushing through" in check. Jesus died a horrible and shameful death for all who believe upon Him and follow Him in obedience. Spend some time there at the cross where Jesus paid it all and understand all to Him that we owe. Please do not turn the page on the greatest event in human history until it resonates thoroughly and becomes a part of who you are.

May the events celebrated every Easter be bound in your mind by the Scripture found in the old Testament and then repeated in the New, "Be ye holy for God is Holy." Ye that would be holy must fight. Christ won for all who would come after Him salvation, sanctification, redemption, reconciliation, justification and, one day, our glorification. His part is finished but our part continues.

The one who comes to Christ must "war a good warfare" (1 Timothy 1:18), "fight the good fight of faith" (1 Timothy 6:12), though not with "carnal weapons" (1 Corinthians 10:4). Our fight begins on our knees, "being sober, watching and praying" (1 Peter 4:7). We wrestle (Ephesians 6:10-18). The victory is given, not to the strong, but to the weak (Ecclesiastes 6:11). We are conquerors only when we rest in Him who loved us (Romans 8:37). Angels aid (Hebrews 1:4) and the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) stands us up against any and all who attempt to sit us down.

 Let the sons of night sleep or stumble in the darkness, but let us who are of the day be sober, lest temptation overtake us and we be ensnared in the wiles of the devil or the seductions of this wanton and dying world. Forget whose you are, lay aside what Christ did for you, hide away the price that was paid to set you free and chained and enslaved you will be for a moment, a season, or a lifetime. Victory is before you, but it is only experienced by those who fully accepts it on the Lord's terms. As He gave all, so must we. Those who would be holy must feel a personal responsibility for being so, both as a member of Christ's Body and a partaker of the Holy Spirit. The thought that perfection is not to be reached here ought not weaken our passion for Christ and to reject anything in our life that would grieve His Spirit.

May "Christ Passion' which is the period of Jesus' suffering, arrest, trial, crucifixion, death and burial, motivate you daily to be passionate and zealous for personal holiness for Him who gave His all for you.

Nineteen couples have had documented weddings in or at the White House. Nine have been children of presidents, three have been a niece or nephew of the president or first lady, two were siblings, two were staffers, one granddaughter, one friend, and one president.

Who would not feel honored if they were invited to such a fine venue, especially if for the wedding of a member of the president's family? I can imagine that this wedding invitation would be passed around and shown off til the day of the wedding, then framed for posterity sake.

Please read Matthew 2:1-14

Read Matthew 25:1-13

Read Revelation 19:7-9

I have a far greater invitation for you here than one you could ever receive to D.C.. I cannot speak for you, but I can honestly say that I had rather be torn to pieces limb from limb tonight and die in the glorious hope of being at the marriage supper of the Lamb than to live happily in this world a thousand years and miss that appointment at the last.

This is no myth. It is not a lie or a dream; it is a real invitation. Every person who has ever drawn a breath on planet earth is invited. All things are now ready. The feast has been prepared at great expense. You cannot spurn the grace and the gift of God. This wedding costs exceedingly more than all the weddings cost in human history - past, present, and future. When God gave Christ, He gave the best that Heaven had to offer, and now He sends out the invitation. He commands His servants to go into highways, hedges, and lanes to compel them to come in, that His House may be full. Who will come?

You say you are not fit to come? If the presidential seal is on the invitation, then you are welcome. If you are a sinner, then you are welcome. The first will get you into the White House for a grand Saturday afternoon affair that will make you the envy of all who know you. The latter will get you into the Kingdom for a peaceful and active rest that lasts for eternity. This hope of peace will make you the envy of all who do not share in it. They desire it, but are not willing - at least some, for the moment - to rise, dress, and attend.

In Latin there is a term the Puritans used: Corrinado. It means "before the face of God." I spoke this past Sunday about being included and not being overlooked. If you are (and I assume you are a part of the family of God), then your name has been written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Read Revelation 13:8; 21:27

Our names there are written not in ink, but the Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Once your name is placed there, it cannot be erased and it assures you that you won't be overlooked, excluded or forgotten. We are forever before the face of God.

I am not so prideful as to think that this short blog shall remove all the trouble in your life. "Peace of mind" doesn't change circumstances. For example, as I write this I am well aware of my mother's physical and mental condition in a Rest Home. My eternal hope of glory changes nothing about her condition. However, God has been good through it all. It was her idea to stop driving, her idea to leave home, her idea to move here. It was God that gave her a private room in walking distance of our home. God has given her and us a peace about it all and He grants us with the strength to face her decline with grace.

It is our eternal hope of glory that causes us to have an overwhelming confidence that her best is just over the next hill. That climb might be the hardest of her life, but oh the joy that is just ahead is totally worth our faithfulness in spite of our fears and sorrow. I know and she knows that God has not forsaken us. We are forever before His face.

Do not ever lose sight of Him because He will never lose sight of you. You matter. His seal and your name is on the invitation, and it is written in His Son's blood.





In Christ,
Pastor Todd

The fascinating thing about trouble for the child of God is that nothing happens in this world and in the life of the saint apart from Almighty God's providence, sovereignty, and His divine authority. If we are correct about who our God is, then a big God should always mean small problems. I believe that there is nothing too big for my God. I also believe that there is nothing put upon me that either God did not allow or actually orchestrate. So then, if I believe that God is good and that He is actually incapable of doing harm (James 1:13), that my God does not place more on us than we can carry, and that He provides a constant path to victory (1 Corinthians 10:13), then let my heart be glad.

The one cure for burden-bearing is to cast all burdens on the Lord. Psalm 25:22 states, "Redeem Israel, O God, out of all their troubles." It is easy to read over such a common thought in the Old Testament, but then you stop and think, "Wait a second . . . is their trouble not of God, since they sinned and God punished them and brought them to this place of despair?" As a rule, the answer is yes. So, then, we must ponder upon the thought that has plagued mankind for ages:

Why does a good God allow suffering, trials, troubles and temptation?

I will not attempt to answer that question yet again. My point in this writing is for you to see that no problem is too big, it is not there by accident and that your God wants you to turn to Him for guidance and victory.

When trouble comes, it is not because God doesn't care, but because He does care. He loves you so much and all He wants is what is best for you. Just as gold is refined by fire and iron sharpens iron, so struggle has a way of growing us and aiding us in our maturation process. Whatever burden the Lord hath given you or allowed in your life, give it back to Him. Treat the burden of care as you once did your burden of sin; kneel down and deliberately hand it over to Jesus. Say to Him, "Lord, I entrust this to you. And this, and this, and this... I cannot carry them alone, they are crushing me. You have taken my sins, now take my sorrows and, in exchange, let me experience Your peace and joy afresh and anew."

Author George Herbert wrote: "We put our trouble, trial, temptation, sorrow, suffering, and grief into Christ's bag and let Him carry them away."

I pity the poor soul who has never called on friends or family and watched them rise to do everything humanly possible to meet the need. I also pity the one who has never been called upon. Oh, we might be reluctant to ask for help and we might complain when asked, but there is no greater feeling to serve or be served. Have you not had your feelings hurt when not called upon? "Why didn't they ask me?" we say. Does our God not deserve the opportunity to prove His love for you?

Of course, there are a few conditions we must fulfill before we gladly relinquish our burdens to our Lord. First, we must have cast our sins on Him before casting our cares. I am unwilling to say that "fox hole" pleas fall on deaf ears, or that God does not care about the plight of the lost. Perhaps God uses such occasions to prove His presence and power that the lost might come to Him. However, they have no right or standing before a Holy God, thus, they have no sure expectation of intervention.

Second, the saved must be at peace with God by living according to His plan for their life, living under the cloud, obeying His laws, dependent on His Spirit.

Third, we must also feed faith with promise, for their food is essential to make it thrive. When these three steps are followed, then we can pass our cares onto Him, not like a hot potato, but as unto a loving friend who is willing to take our load and carry it for us. We don't run from our trouble - we run to the open and awaiting arms of the One who died for us.

The problem is we often feel God doesn't care or is absent from us for some reason or another. We might feel our problem is too small for the God of this universe to involve Himself with. Then there are times we might feel this problem is too complex. "I don't even know how to pray," we say.
I ask you this: How could God not want to help you through it all when He is the One who caused or allowed it?

God is not obtuse. He is aware and loves you so much that He graciously has chosen to allow trials in your life in an effort for you and He to grow closer. Remember, He chastises those He loves (Hebrews 12:6). The fact that "He never leaves us nor forsakes us" (Hebrews 13:5) tells me to expect Him working in my life, perhaps in ways that make me uncomfortable.

Preachers preach, teachers teach, parents parent, coaches coach, drill sergeants train, God works in mysterious ways. Don't fight Him, give Him back what He gives you.






In Christ,
Pastor Todd

What is missing in the world today? Is it brotherly kindness or human generosity? Is it legal justice and fairness? Is it unbiased objectivity? Is it mere civility? Is it equality or equity?

I say all those and more.
What I ask, however, is what do each of these treatments of our fellow man have in common? Do they not all have their roots in love?

Our life must have its breath and being in a heavenly love as much as Christ did. What the Father's love was to Him, His love will be to us.
"Even as the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you," Jesus proclaimed.

How did the Father love Him? Was it not the infinite desire and delight of God to communicate to the Son all He had of Himself, to take the Son into the most complete equality with Himself, to live in the Son and have Christ live in Him? These proofs reveal the Father's love to Christ. It is the mystery of Glory of which there is no clear human understanding; we can only bow and worship when we ponder the Divine Trinity. And with such a love, with this very same love, Christ longs in an infinite desire and delight to confer to us all that He is and has to make us partakers of His own nature and blessedness to live in us and to have us live in Himself.

What might also be another component of our lack today is faith; a faith that breeds confidence, boldness, victory and hope. If Christ loves us with such an intense, such an infinite Divine love, what is it that could hinder us in triumphing over every obstacle and taking full possession of it?

The idea that mere sinful, flawed, wicked and depraved humanity could share in the Divine is beyond our limited thoughts. It is only by the written Word, the indwelling Holy Spirit and years of experiences with the unexplainable that we can finally begin to see the possibilities that we possess by being loved by God. Oh, such love that the Almighty would know and care for me. Oh, such love that would allow the sinless and spotless Lamb of God to sacrifice so much for the most wretched sinner on earth that I am. Oh, such love that would grant His all-conquering power without interrupting or limitation to such a weak and frail vessel as me.

It is all just too wonderful for me to contain it all within myself. Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should create me, sustain me, empowering me, love me, and die for me? Let angel minds inquire no more. It simply must be mercy. Let us adore Him all the more.

So free, so abundant, so infinite - His grace. Can you believe that He emptied Himself of everything but His love to bleed and die for you and for me? No condemnation now we dread; Jesus and all in Him is ours, alive in Him, our living Head who gives to us all that was found in Him. How can it be?

Read Romans 8:31-39

Oh, love of God, how rich and pure and measureless and strong! It shall forever endure it is the saints' and angels' song. To ignore this most incredible truth and reality is to limit yourself needlessly and put yourself in great peril without reason or necessity. You are a conqueror! The power that raised Christ from the dead lives within you. It was the Father's love and acceptance of the Son that allowed it. We possess that same Divine love within ourselves. No mountain too high. No valley too deep.

You got trouble? So?! Who doesn't. Could Christ have endured more? Now He is seated at the Father's right hand awaiting His next command. Defeated and destroyed? No, indeed!!! Death and the grave could not hold Him. One day He will come riding on a white horse with a sword in His mouth and all victory will be His, as it will be ours.

Read Revelation 19:11-16

We are loved and so we love others!
We are loved so we cannot be defeated!
We are loved and so we do not quit!




In Christ,
Pastor Todd

Jesus said, "No one puts new wine into old wineskins, otherwise the fermenting wine will expand, bursting the skins. Thus, the wine will be lost as well as the wineskins. New wine must be put into new wineskins."

As Christians, we are new creations that are to think, speak, and act like the Christ of Christianity. We are disciples. We are followers. We are to mimic our leader who is the Head of the Church who is Christ our Lord. We still have our old nature, but now we have a new Master. Our Master, His Spirit, and His Word are to dictate to us what our new life in Him is to look like. Living the Christian life is a challenge, no doubt, but can be overcome with the help of our newfound King. There is nothing He asks or demands of His followers that He will not enable us to fulfill and accomplish.

Every person - and certainly every follower of Christ - needs to have spiritual goals. The "mores" of our spiritual life are not done to earn more favor or love from God, but rather done in result of the favor and love He has already granted. Whatever goals you set, whatever more you may need to attempt, please do as unto the Lord and for the Lord, not for yourself.

I wish that we considered the metamorphosis of the caterpillar worm to the butterfly more personally.

Read
2 Corinthians 3:18
2 Corinthians 5:17
Romans 12:2
Ezekiel 25:26-27

When the caterpillar leaves its woven cocoon/nest behind, it leaves it totally and forever.

Read
Ephesians 4:17-32
Colossians 3:1-17

The Apostle Paul tells us to put off suddenly the habit of sin. You will not grow out of your anger, you must put it off.
You will not grow out of your envy and jealousy, you must put them off.
You will not grow out of your impurity. You must put it off.

It is a conscious act of the will. I ask you to find anything and everything that needs to be purged from your life and do just that, purge it. I don't watch horror movies for various reasons, but most of them share a similar plot. The villain is slain, it appears, but then it reappears. When I kill a snake or a spider, you can be sure it is totally destroyed. I am not moving it unless I know there is no chance of it harming me.

I am asking you to purge from your life whatever issue might be reappearing again and again. I am asking you to ask God to help you do this thing once and for all and be done with it.

I mentioned this past Sunday morning about doing something that cannot be done without God. Is that thing something you need to start or something that you need to stop? What more of you does God want? Sometimes God, like a parent, pastor, coach, employer, etc., wants more from us because He knows we have it in us. Usually, God wants more of us because He wants more for us. The more of us we give, the more of Him we receive. It is us He wants and it is Him that we need. I challenge you to be a fountain unto the Lord and other, not merely a drain. Don't limit God by limiting yourself. I truly believe that God has a whole different level of life for us to live on if only we shed our old habits, sins, ways and life and give in totally to Him.

Would you consider praying this prayer please:

Father, as Solomon wrote, "There is nothing new under the sun." I know that there is no new magical formula that is going to make my walk with You and my life so much better and deeper in 2025. I know that if I am going to go deeper with You, it is going to require more from me. Lord, You know my heart and that my intentions are good, but my time is limited and my real knowledge of what I actually need to do is limited, as well. I ask You, King Jesus, to remake me, reshape me, transform me into the image of my Master. While there is no new formula to find or follow, I am new and I claim my rightful place before You now. I want to put off the old and put on the new for Your glory and my good. Please do in me what I cannot do for myself. It is time. It is past time. Help me deal with any encumbrances that might hinder me in any way. Dear Lord, I claim the victory now. Show me the way and, by Your grace, light, and strength, I vow before You never to go back.
Amen.

Now, listen. That was a very generic prayer. An outline, if you will. What can God help you with?
Ask Him, then take His help and WIN - WIN - WIN!
It is before you. Reach out and take it.

Happy New Year.



In Christ,
Pastor Todd

In our house from, say, the day before Thanksgiving to sometime around New Year's Day, the kitchen bar contains treats. Some fruit and nuts, some homemade, some bought, some prepared by my wonderful wife, while others are gifts. Most of them are sugary delights that are so appealing and taste just as wonderful. These delectable treats make a beautiful Christmas plate of hors d'oeurres, appetizers, and desserts. After all, it is not all sweets. We offer do-dads/trailmix, sausage balls, and the occasional sausage stick from Hickory farms along with the best homemade cheeseball this side of L.A.

The kids ask for certain things, Wanda enjoys a couple, but they mostly are for me. As good as they all are, a certain part of the pleasure is found in the tradition of the spread. Mawmaw's green punch and my mother's M&M cookies are a must. I mean, it just wouldn't be Christmas without them, right?

Wrong!

But that is the way we feel and that is what we say and some eat, eat, eat. . .oh, wait, don't forget the actual meals on all of the big days. Is there any food that makes you feel fuller and puts you more into a food coma than turkey? But most people dive into these feasts fork first year after year and, if we are honest, most of us can't wait til they are all gone so we can eat somewhat healthy again, or at least normal.

I have learned that I feel much better, much happier, sleep better, and my body and mind just simply work much more efficiently if I purge the sugar, empty the carbs from my diet, and fill it with natural foods, not processed foods. Meats, vegetables, fruit, dairy, and yes, yogurt is delicious if you are not eating ice cream by the gallon. Isn't that RFK's thing? I agree totally. White sugar and processed foods are silent killers. They are fakes. They offer a short-term satisfaction but leave an emptiness that is often attempted to be gratified by the same horrible choices. It is a vicious cycle - one I have endured for years and I am confident you have observed it in others, if not been a victim of it yourself.

The crazy thing for me is that I hate fake. I don't like silly. I do not suffer well with fools or foolishness. I never watched cartoons, never read the "funnies." I love good comedy or comedians say like Jeff Foxworthy, but cannot stand Will Ferrell. I like serious people. People and things with sustenance. I am naturally drawn to people, places, and things that are real.

"Are you for real" is a statement/question we often use rhetorically and yet demand an answer if nothing else in our own minds. As we turn the calendar to another year, can we put away not only the empty calories and foods that bloat us, but also put away, put down, and destroy all the stuff: thoughts, ideas, temptations, hobbies, habits, and sinful things that bring some moments of pleasure but leave a great longing and void? Is there not, hopefully, some desire and hunger for the real, the substantive, the foundational truths of not just God's Word, our faith and religion, but simply the real things that matter in life?

The fuel for this blog came this week from a precious friend who said to me, "I don't even like myself." This friend is not suicidal, but just wrapped up in their life at the moment. I felt it wrong to attempt to placate them with some shallow platitude that would make me feel as though I had been helpful, but in reality offered no real solution, counsel, or empathy. I have learned that when I truly cannot empathize, then less is more. I try not to fake it by rambling long enough that the subject changes. We do not always have a relatable personal experience. My friend added, "I just needed to vent." Oh, we have all been there! However, sometimes that is not the whole truth. We feel as though it is, but we would gladly receive some advice if it is real, pointed, and productive.

Sunday school, Bible studies, Deacon's meetings, small group, accountability partners, prayer partners, sibling relationships, and best friends should all be safe places, a harbor in times of storm, to share our most intimate and vulnerable thoughts, fears, doubts, concerns, troubles, and worries. Yet, we often suffer in silence and loneliness. How sad, how wrong, how wasteful. I get it. Not all trouble is created equally and not every church member, friend, coworker, or even relative is either. My great, humble, and sincere request is that you find a port to winter in, lest you succumb to the wicked drowning waves and winds of life.

You can imagine, I am sure, the things a pastor, for example, might deal with over thirty-plus years of pastoral ministry. The ramifications of abuse, neglect, abortion, adultery, a homosexual experience, addictions - all are lasting and real and it seldom matters how far in the past they occurred.

For example, we rightly take much pity on victims of marital affairs. The spouse who was cheated on, the embarrassment the children endure, maybe even the extended family and church are often cared for and ministered to as needs arise. We are often relieved when the marriage is able to stay in tact and forgiveness is found, but the cheating spouse is marked and their sin is seldom forgotten. Do we ever consider their pain and regret that can last a lifetime?

I write this on the eve of a new year to remind you that we should deeply care for the sick and bereaved. We should show genuine concern for caregivers. We should be quick to help the victims of any hardship. Continue to write cards, make visits, give money, and go and serve. For all of that and more, our church, you get an A+. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Unfortunately, however, the ones we see and hear about rather naturally are not the only ones we should care about.

Read these statements. They are real. Every one of them from Christian church members over thirty years of service:
"Seeing a family member naked wrecked my thought-life for decades."
"Low testosterone destroyed my body."
"Too much testosterone made me feel ugly like I belonged in a circus."
"My menstrual cycle made me feel so dirty. I have always questioned God's love for women."
"My addiction to pornography made me feel so inadequate, I am sure I will die a virgin."
"I have to sleep with a light on, even with my husband in the bed with me, because any movement at night takes me back to when my brother-n-law would sneak into my bed in the dark."
"How could anyone read the Old Testament and believe God is gracious and merciful?"
"How could anyone who has ever buried a young child believe that God is love?"
"If you think I would ever even attempt to forgive my mother for leaving us when I was ten, you are crazy. I will hate her until the day I die. I pray she burns in hell."

Believe me, those are just a few of the very real burdens that my people have carried. The saddest to me are the people who cannot forgive themselves. Coming to faith in Christ is amazing, but unless one is able to appropriate the love, the forgiveness, the mercy of God into their life that He freely offers, Christianity is really torture. You are convicted, hear and accept a new realty, but refuse to live in it. Oh, how I pity the wounded.

If you are one of the wounded (and the chances are very great that you may be), please know that you are not alone. Know that you are loved by God. I hope that I can say this honestly, for I have been working on this all throughout my ministry, I love you, too, no matter what. We don't always love victims the way we should. We sometimes see them differently. If you are one, you have seen it - you have felt it. We certainly do not love wrong-doers the way Christ does. Forgiveness and love do not come easily nor naturally. I have dedicated myself to processing the facts and looking beyond my initial, personal, natural reaction and seeing the person for who they are, seeing them the way that I want to be seen.

I have many regrets, many scars, made many mistakes, so one could say I am both a victim and a wrongdoer. I write this from love and personal experience. Just as an example, my mother never married. I knew nothing and know nothing about my father or his family. It has only been in the last few years that I have begun to deal with it, much less speak of it. That aspect of my life has affected my entire life. It carried shame as a child, confusion as a teenager, and anger as an adult. It has impacted my parenting and my ministry. I am healing, but I am not well yet.

What is your story? Have you shared it? I gave this one story in my life to God just  few years ago. It wasn't til I "put it down" (see the next blog) that I began to experience some freedom. I want that for you.

I beg you in 2025 to be real and to gravitate to what is real. I ask you to share your burdens when and where you feel safe. I ask you to listen to those who may share with you and hold things in strict confidence. I ask you to help establish safe places for you and others to vent and share as needs arise. I ask you to pray that my Sunday messages and perhaps even these blogs would be relative.

If something that I ever say, preach, or write strikes a nerve, I am always here for you. If you do not feel comfortable with me because of age, gender, etc., I will find you a confidant.

I love you! Happy New Year! May your faith in Christ be a shining light this year that makes your life better in 2025.


In Christ,
Pastor Todd

"Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which is for all people," the Angel of the Lord spoke to the shepherds that most ordinary night some two-thousand plus years ago.
Because the previous verse states that "the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were greatly afraid," we naturally link "do not be afraid" to the shepherds fear because of what was happening to them in that moment. I see that, of course. However, the Angel's announcement that night was not just merely for the shepherds, but to the existing world then up until now.

Fear is a common emotion, as is happiness. Both are rather predictable. Fear occurs when bad things are possible or indeed occur. Happiness springs up within us when good things are possible or indeed occur. We are seldom shocked by most emotions. After all, we have experienced most every emotion most all our lives. I pity people that are driven by their feelings and emotions. The good ones seem to be constantly fleeting, driven by circumstances. The bad feelings of life can be crippling and they seem to linger even after circumstances improve.
 
The Angel came and spoke on a dark night to a dark world. Israel was experiencing deep oppression by the Romans. The elites, both political and religious, were all corrupt. Slavery was common. A man's beast of burden was more protected than his slave. Women and children had no standing in society. There really was no middle class. Prejudice and hatred was prevalent. Deceases of all sorts ran rampant. Pure, clean drinking water was rare. It had been four hundred years since God had spoken through His Prophets. Would the long awaited Messiah ever come? Both Jew and Pagan dreamed of relief. Few, if any, had ever experienced joy.

Happiness can disguise itself as joy, but it isn't. Happiness turns up more or less when we expect it. There is happiness in a good marriage, a rewarding job, a wonderful vacation, a restful holiday; Nothing wrong with happiness. I embrace it when I have it and long for it when it is absent. The reason joy is unpredictable is because God holds it, God grants it, and we only experience it as we have Him in our hearts.

When we study the song of Mary (Luke 1:46-56), and Zacharia's prophecy (Luke 1:67-79), we find a deep peace and joy bore out of difficulty and confusion. Jesus said these words: "These things have I spoken to you, that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be full. (John 15:11). He says those words at a  very odd time. He says them on the night He would be betrayed, get arrested in a garden, be falsely tried and convicted, then sent off to be crucified. Odd time to be talking about joy, right?

NOPE!

Joy is about fullness, a fullness that can only be made by God. Thus fullness at its core is the expression of love. Christ knew that His cross was the perfect backdrop for the portrait of real love to be revealed.

Read Isaiah 12:1-3

The joy that every person's heart longs for is only produced in the salvation that Jesus delivered to humanity through His death, burial and resurrection.

May the Joy of the Lord fill your life this Christmas season. It can! It should! All indications of Scripture point to the fact that it already has. The fruit of the Spirit have already been bestowed upon God's children, "Therefore, with joy you will draw from the wells of salvation." All we need is found in God and, because God now indwells us through His Spirit, we have all we need - yes, even joy in the darkest moments of life.

But the Angel said, "Good news of great joy which shall be to ALL PEOPLE." Dante Alighieri, the one who wrote literary classic Dante's Inferno, said in his book Inferno: "The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis." Silence will revoke no Christian's salvation, but can the Born Again really be silent? Can the Transformed be neutral in the midst of turmoil? Can the full and satisfied not want to feed and minister to the needy? How can we who have received the greatest gift ever given not want to share with others the same?

The Joy you have, you must share. Just as the absence of peace and joy for the person who claims faith in Christ is a warning of the possible lack of salvation, so is a person's lack of passion for souls. We know how dark this world is today. Rather than ringing our hands and scratching our heads, let's deliver the message of hope to a desperate, cold, lost and dying world. God is good and, thus, people need the Lord. How can they hear lest someone tells them?

The story of darkness is hopelessness. The story of light is life. This is the Christmas story. The story began two-thousand plus years ago in a time of turmoil and despair. It is a story that culminates in victory, mercy, grace, and hope; From beginning to end, the story of man is that of sinfulness, despair, and death. But God, who is rich in love, sent forth His only begotten Son to bring hope, light, life, forgiveness and salvation to a depraved and wicket lot - me and you.

May I remind you that it is never too late; as long as breath remains, the lost can seek salvation and the redeemed can shout joyfully unto the Lord. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.

My prayer and hope is for you to have the merriest of Christmases ever. May the Peace, Hope, Love and Joy of the Lord fill your heart this amazing season.



In Christ,
Pastor Todd

Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Prepare your minds for action by being completely sober, steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert and aware. Fix your hope completely on the grace of God that has come upon you through the revelation of Jesus the Christ.

Live as obedient children of God by not being conformed to the evil desires which governed you before you were transformed by the power of God through salvation in Christ alone. So like the Holy One who called you out of this world to be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage is Holy, you also be holy in thought, in word, and in deed.

There are the words amplified by me from 1 Peter 1:13-16.

Taking every thought captive before the Lord is necessary to achieve personal holiness in our walk with the Lord. Let's take three verses:
"Be ye holy for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:16
"Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness." 1 Timothy 4:7
and "Be ye filled with the Holy Spirit." Ephesians 5:18.
unlike the wild horse that has no halter, no boundaries, no fences, and no gates, we do. God has built a hedge around us for our protection. Unfortunately, like a horse, we can break free and have a moment of unbridled freedom. We do so at our own peril. Like a freed beast that can trample gardens, cut itself, get trapped, get in the road, and do great damage to its surroundings and itself, we can as well by our loosened minds, tongues, hands and feet. I implore you to be intentional about limiting these breakouts more and more as you grow in your walk.

I do not recall using two words Sunday: Discipline and Intentional. You will never achieve the goal of taming your thoughts without their implementation.

The concept of holiness is defined as having the inner strength to be set apart for service to God. When I read "Be ye holy," "Be ye filled," and "Discipline yourself." I understand that I have an obligation and responsibility. As I concluded Sunday, I stated that God will but I have to want it to the point of getting out of the way so He can. I don't want to hinder His work in my life.

The reason for this post is to be practical. I simply ask you this: Do you want all of Him? Are you fully invested in receiving the fullness of God in your life? If so, God's Word and God's Spirit are armed to do battle for you but they won't go it alone. You can't just be willing to be set apart. You have to be spiritually alert and have the moral courage to take action against the world, the flesh, the Devil, and all his demonic forces that are bent on destroying you. My new friend I used Sunday as an example said, "Preacher, the reason I listen to the Bible on a loop all night is Satan never sleeps. He is working against us while we do." Amen and amen! Everything about you trying to be more Christlike enrages the world, your old nature, and Satan. The greatest weapon against you is your mind. If they can get at you through your thoughts, they have got you. Thus, we must must must recognize their plays and stop them at port of entry. What would your walk with God look like if you employed these tactics:

"Oh, Lord, that is a beautiful woman or a handsome man, but you have not given them to me and I am so grateful for me spouse that You have given to me. Please give me eyes for them alone. Take this passion I have and help me inject it into my marriage that our relationship would remain strong." You see, the problem with "just looking" is that it seldom ends there. Pornography addictions and affairs start with unbridled lust. Filthy thoughts come naturally to not just young men. Children and women have them as well. Check these thoughts or you will do irreparable harm.

"Oh, Lord, I know these are false thoughts that I am having about myself. I know you have made me and I am no better or worse than anyone else in Your eyes." Satan plants seeds. You, right here, must know yourself. Is the "accuser of the brethren" causing you to have a suspicious mind? Are you jealous, envious, greedy or bitter? Do you struggle with pride and arrogance or perhaps a low self-esteem and a poor self image? If any of these apply, the moment they do you must claim victory over it in Christ and refuse to let it blossom. A person may well age out of lust but our self image stays with us until death. Precious few struggle not.

Fearful thoughts are gripping the hearts of countless souls today. What If removes God from His throne and replaces Him with a much less omipowerful resource - namely you, sometimes parents, spouse, children, a pastor even. Instead of trusting God, we put ourselves in the hands of the practical and physical. I've actually heard people say, "I know, but God's not here." In other words, I am going to trust in what I can feel, hear, see, smell and touch. What If will wear you out and wear you down. It removes hope and replaces it with fear. When panic strikes, stop and pray, "Oh, Lord, I know You can and will if I will just let You. You have already been where I am going. Worry and fear are not mine. My husband, wife, Pastor Todd, or Donald Trump cannot solve this, but You can. I give this to You and claim victory over my fear."

All these thoughts and so many more want to exalt themselves over Christ and the knowledge you possess about your God. You can't let your thoughts prevail. Weeks ago I spoke about the heart deceiving you. Well, let me assure you, your unchecked thoughts will ruin you.

What word or deed does not begin with a thought? Weed out the bad and fuel the good. Be disciplined, be intentional. You are a (beast - a horse, a sheep) free agent but you are not wild any longer, you are to live in the perimeters (fence) of the Spirit-filled life outlined in Holy Scripture.

Victory is possible. Read, study, pray, but one word I leave you with is acknowledge. You must acknowledge the power of your thoughts and deal with them accordingly. FYI, I wrote this at 4 in the morning. I woke up and couldn't turn my mind off. It is true, our thoughts never stop running.


In Christ,
Pastor Todd

Although externally and practically, Christ's obedience unto death came at the end of His life, the spirit of obedience was of the same fervor from the beginning. After all, He laid aside His glory and rightful place in Heaven to come here. Christ did not arrive by being born in a palace as a king. HE did not require a royal robe, horses and chariots, wine and fine delicacies, servants and slaves. He came not to be served but to serve. He had nowhere to lay His head. He came unto His own but they received Him not. They even destroyed the cloak He wore and divided it among themselves at His death. He humbled Himself by taking on the form of a man who became our sympathetic High Priest. This means the God of glory. Creator and Sustainer of the universe, just as much God as the Father. He hungered, thirsted, wept, slept, prayed, and was even tempted in all points as we are.

Our Lord truly gets us.

Our life is to be a school of obedience. It is by our faith and our independent will that we choose to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness. We must get off of the milk and onto the meat of truth and righteousness. We must move on from the elementary to the deeper things of God. This schooling is a process of growth and development.

Jesus, the Christ, our Lord and Savior, showed humanity that whole-hearted obedience is not the end but the beginning of our school life. The end is total fitness for God's service unto His glory, when our obedience has placed us fully at God's disposal. A heart yielded to God in unreserved obedience is the one condition of progress in Christ's School and of growth in the spiritual knowledge of God's will.

Consecration avails nothing unless it means presenting yourself as a living sacrifice for nothing but the will of God.
 
There is a general will of God for all of His children, which we can simply gleam from in our study of the Bible, but there is a special individual application of these commands concerning us personally. These things we learn by the indwelling Holy Spirit, but He will not teach it except to those who have taken the vow of obedience (I wrote in a past blog about Lordship - you can review it here).

I suggested then, as I do now, that our school of obedience training and honing the craft of our spiritual faith builds one act of obedience (based in faith) upon another, then yet another, throughout the course of life. Mathematics is taught in stages, as is every subject, trade, and skill. If, somehow, an eighteen year old had never been exposed to math in their life, the teacher would still have to start with simple arithmetic - 2+2=4. We don't teach based on age, but where the individual is in the process of learning. I am fifty-four years old, and if I went to work for Terry Sherrill, he would have to train me and speak to me as though I know nothing, like an eighteen year old apprentice.

Every scholar with the art they study, every tradesman, every business man knows - and it is true in ministry and in medicine - doing is the one condition of truly knowing. And so obedience, the doing of God's will as far as we know it, and the will and the vow to do it all as He reveals it, is the spiritual mechanism for true spiritual growth in our walk of faith with our Lord.

God is working on our midst. Our people are excited. Your Pastor is excited. Things are changing and happening. It is good to be at Piney Grove. Please do not let your personal growth, your own individual holiness, your walk of faith and your relationship with God grow static in this season of joyful ministry, but rather let t hose things in each of us be the fuel that sparks the raging fires of revival and dedication.

Corporate religious affections can be faked, manufactured, and manipulated, but personal holiness and individual vows of obedience can not be. Help me make sure all the wonderful things we see and feel at Piney Grove are real. They will only be real if they are real in our hearts.



In Christ,
Pastor Todd

"Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" was a 1989 family/comedy movie. You might be familiar with movies where a machine, a wish, or, by some magic something or someone, is radically changed. No doubt you have seen movies like "Trading Places," a 1983 comedy/drama where two people swap lives based on being placed in different circumstances.
Do you remember the 1961 or the 1998 "Parent Trap" movie where twin girls are separated at birth, find each other at a camp, and decide to fool their parents by swapping lives? Have you ever watched a "makeover" show and wondered how long did it take for the new person to revert back to the old person they were before? Does the hoarder's cleaned out house stay clean for long? Does the "Biggest Loser"'s weight stay off? I wonder!

The Christian life is never static. One must either grow in grace or there will be backsliding and deterioration. To make movies entertaining, the plot usually contains a hero and a villain, a blessing and a curse, a victory and a defeat. For the most part, at least, we want the good guy to win. We want it to work out the way we would want it to if the plot was playing out in reality in our lives. But in fact, our real lives are messy. If a documentary were done on your life, particularly your walk of faith with God, would it have you lost or struggling, then saved and growing, then the end? Would it reveal you lost or struggling, then saved or rededicated, and then floundering again? I wonder!

When Jesus commanded we die to self daily, when John said He must increase and we must decrease, when Paul spoke of being dead to sin and crucifying the old nature, none of them implied a temporary change or state.

Kamala Harris is being accused by conservatives as "flip-flopping" on some key issues and policies. No one likes someone that is all over the place. Jesus said that He would rather us be hot or cold. Paul exhorted us not to be like dust that drifts in the wind. James warned of the double-minded man. He who does not go on with God, but allows himself to drift, is almost sure to lose the joy of their salvation. So I ask you, have you been careless in spiritual matters, or diligent?

The reason that yo-yo dieting is so very frustrating is obvious. A person puts in all that effort and goes without the foods that they had come to enjoy so much, and this deprivation can go on for an extended period of time, but then go back to their old ways and the weight comes back on. Many people will put all their weight back on before starting to diet all over again. Pure torture! I know, believe me.

Do not accept the suggestion of the Tempter that you are powerless to break away from old, bad, evil habits. As you reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord, the Holy Spirit will work in you and through you. He will cause you to triumph over tendencies toward evil and enable you to live victoriously to the glory of God who has saved you, transformed you, and remade you new and awesome.

A little careless in regard to study, giving, praying, worshiping, witnessing, serving, encouraging, etc.? You know better. We don't do what we do because we are legalistic. We do what we do diligently for three very important reasons:
1) His sake
2) Our sake
3) Other's sake

Put your hand back to the plow and move forward.

I am not a Joyce Myers fan. I have never used anything of hers in the past, but I opened this video and felt like it was solid and I ask you to check it out if you wish. It directly coordinates with this post.

My mother worked in a Paper Mill. Some people call them factories; I grew up calling it the Plant.

She worked in the same Plant for thirty-eight years. In and out the same doors and toting the same metal lunch box and thermos (which I still have). She did not make a good salary. In fact, we struggled financially, but what it did give her was a Pension Plan that, with Social Security, will provide for her til she dies.

Today, most of us have 401k Plans. Most of us wonder if we have enough, or if we will out live our money. It is a fear that consumes many Americans. I just this month increased a Life Insurance Policy to ensure that I will leave something to our children, for I believe Wanda and I will indeed outlive our money. A very sad prospect.

How many worries, fears, dreads, doubts, or just plain thoughts consume you daily?

Speaking of our children, by the way, how old does a child have to be before a parent stops worrying about them? Apparently my children have not reached that age yet. I want to get back to doing a weekly blog that might serve as a devotional. I might even attempt a podcast. Before I start any of that, or as we start, I might say I wanted it to blend in with my thoughts from the last several Sundays. Here it is, you ready?

We need God!

I know, right, you have heard it from VBS to Sunday School to last Sunday's service. Can't the preacher give us something more? Well, I hope I do, but that simple principle is the foundation of our religion, our faith, our salvation, our relationship to God. It is everything because He is everything. We do not make Him king. He is King. What we are to do is crown Him King of our life. Is He King over your life? If so, why worry? From our future to our parent's future to our kid's future, we are always planning and preparing. From the weather to politics, we are always complaining. From Christmas to summer vacation, we are always dreaming. Do we ever relax? Do we ever rest?

Isaiah 30:15 says, "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."

As we begin this fall semester and new series of blogs, etc., I ask you this:
Are you fully trusting God?
I submit the reason so many people struggle with the pressures of life is because we lack trust in God. Worry is a choice, just as trusting God is a choice. You cannot do both at the same time. It is amazing how fears, doubts, worries, and dread disappear when we surrender to God.

The burdens of this life are just too much, but our God is more than enough to see us overcome and conquer. Anxiety is usually something the world, the flesh, or the devil has implanted in your life to intimidate you, taunt you into attempting to solve it on your own or drown under its weight. Simply, we cannot focus on God and on our trouble at the same time. The devil wants to make you feel isolated and all alone. He cannot take your soul, but he can hinder your faithfulness and fruitfulness. Remember, nothing pleases God more than for his children to be dependent on Him. Nothing is too small. Nothing is too large. He just wants to spend time with you, even if it is time spent working you through your trouble. do not squander another moment worrying. It solves nothing. Give it to God!

Read Matthew 6:25-34

Merely as an example:
Conservatives believe and are saying that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are the most radical a and liberal demonic duo ever to be nominated for President and Vice President of the United States. What should we do with that?

As yet another example: "U.S. Economist Issues Dire Warning: 'Painful Reckoning' Looms Over Markets" read one headline this morning. What do we do with that?

One more: "One in two of us will be affected by dementia in our lifetime. Either by having it or caring for someone with it." I read recently. What do we do with that?

I cannot tell you how to feel. I will not tell you that I am without fault. I hope you are concerned and prayerfully burdened over many of life's issues. What I want, however, is for me and you to decrease and for Him to increase. Do it for Him, of course, but do it for your own sanity.

The only rest and peace that I find from the information overload that has the potential daily of wearing me down is to totally give it all to God. I will repeat what I wrote in a previous blog on prayer:
I talk to God all day about everything. I have to, or I would lose it.

Someone might argue that I should just unplug more and be less informed, and, thus, less troubled. Perhaps, but I don't think my calling nor my personality would allow for that. Again, others might care less, i.e. they might say, "Just let your kids grow up." or "Just get done what you can and not worry about the rest."
I get it, but I am just not made that way. Therefore, my rest doesn't come from a nap. My peace of heart doesn't come from a finished task. My rest comes from letting God know I can't, but He has proven that He can, and I have learned to let Him.

How are you doing in this area? Is your dependence on God growing, or are you fighting to hang on?

I am not sure whether "life fatigue" is coined by others or original with me. I am sure, however, that it is very real and more and more suffer through it regularly. The phrase neatly captures the combination of frustration, hopelessness, the feelings of being trapped, and anxiety that can be caused by so many things, and also lead to many things. If being anxious isn't bad enough, some develop anxiety issues and anxiety attacks. It also speaks to all levels of exhaustion. I fear we may suffer a mental, emotional, and spiritual tiredness that our ancestors did not. Many of them dealt with physical weariness that millions have not and never will know. I might add to our disservice and misfortune. But, in my humble opinion, the physical exhaustion that I have felt many times did not wear on me like the stress of life that comes from the trials that lead to a life of fatigue.

I would say that our church family is a real good mix of people that serve as a microcosm of our modern age. What I hear, see, and feel is concerning. As I sat listening last Sunday, I felt such an overwhelming burden for many of our people. God began then to lay this week's message upon my heart. We need strong faith in trying times.

From aging and sickly parents to a lack of time and many many other issues, I feel your pain and want you to know you are not alone. Tyranny of the urgent will swamp your soul like a row boat on a raging sea. Please keep the faith and finish well.

By finishing well, I do not mean end of life stuff. I mean finish well today. Win today. Stay on course. Look to the Author and Finisher of your faith to encourage you and embolden you for the journey ahead. Always remember that our God is bigger than any problem you face. If your problem is a lack of time, for example, and you feel guilty over not having enough time to do justice to all the hats that you wear, please do not forget that God knows your heart now. With that said, no excuses! Right? You must work, schedule, discipline yourself, do your best, plan your work and life around the things of God and family, which I would say are the most important. Maybe more time in His Word, in prayer, and in service to Him will make you more productive and enable you to find more time.

But time, or lack of it, is not the only issue by far that our people face. If you or those you love don't have good health, not much else seems to matter. So we all seem to be shouldering a loud. Pray, pray, pray, asking God to show you the way to victory. Our God wants to bless you today. Look for and believe in miracles, but trust Jesus. The miracle you want and ask for might be on the way, or it might not be the one you need. You can trust Jesus to give you the blessing you need.

Doubt sees the obstacles, but strong biblical faith sees the way.

Doubt asks who can survive this, but strong biblical faith answers, "I can with the Lord's help."

Read 2 Corinthians 1:20

Watch the video and apply these life changing truths. The seventh reminder is the best, so watch to the end, please. Have a great day and remember:
God is in control, He is good and He is able.

In Christ,
Pastor Todd

I know that Good Friday and its events speak for themselves. Simple, it is the day our Lord was crucified on the cross. I do believe, however, that it is very critical to contextualize the night and morning as much as possible.

After leaving the upper room with His disciples, they walked through a vineyard where His Olivet Discourse, found primarily in John's Gospel, was delivered (John 15). They then entered the Garden of Gethsane, where He offers an incredible intercessory prayer on behalf of all of His followers, including us (John 17). A lot then transpires between midnight and nine on Friday morning. I am going to assume you will not be able to read about it all from four different perspectives. Just know that each part had great significance and please remember as you do reflect on it all that it was an extraordinarily difficult night. All of it done wrongly while being done to the most innocent man ever convicted. One more thing: while we get these details from our Bibles, these accounts, while studied by historians as well as skeptics that do not deny their occurrences, who Jesus was and what happened to His crucified body are frequently asked questions, but the details of a man named Jesus' death have never been disproven.

Jesus betrayed and arrested - Mark 14:43-50
Jesus is questioned by Annas - John 18:12-24
Jesus is condemned by Caiaphas - Mark 14:53-65
Peter denies Christ three times - John 18:15-27
Jesus is formally condemned by the Sanhedrin - Luke 22:66-71
Judas commits suicide - Matthew 27:1-10
Jesus is tried by Pilate - Luke 23:1-5
Jesus appears before Herod Antipas - Luke 23:6-12
Jesus is sentenced by Pilate - Luke 23:13-25
Barabbas is released - John 18:39-40
Jesus is mocked, beaten and whipped - John 19:1-4
Jesus is crucified and buried - John 19:5-42

My goal one day is to compose a combined reading of all the text as a true chronological order of events from Saturday as it all began to the Ascension. I promise to get that done soon.

I can only hope and pray that this will be a weekend of thoughtfulness, seriousness, sadness as well as jubilation. Happy Easter!


In Christ,
Pastor Todd

Even though my beloved Tigers are playing tonight at 7:00 in the Sweet Sixteen, which for them never happens, I am looking forward to worshiping with you tonight as we take Communion at 7:00. Some things are simply more important than others. I have no regrets. I believe tonight will be a beautiful evening of worship, especially if we all come spiritually prepared.

Thursday is most known for two events: Jesus eats the Passover meal with His disciples in the upper room and institutes the memorial supper that Christians/Baptists consider one of the ordinances of the Church. In other words, believers have been reenacting their version of this meal for 2,000+ years. I hope you have some understanding of the history of Passover. It traces back to the children of Israel being held captive in Egypt recorded for us in the first chapter of Exodus.

Read Exodus 12

When the blood of the lamb was applied to the doorpost, Death would pass over the home and the curse would not be applied. Thus, Jesus entered and died during the week in which Passover was being celebrated. God's program is always conducted with purpose and precision. Jesus was the Lamb without spot. Jesus was the Lamb sent to take away the sins of the world. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. Life is in the Blood. Our Lord purchased out redemption by paying the Father's ransom price of death by bloodshed, and, by doing so, reconciled a sin-sick sinner to a Holy and Just God. The Just died for the unjust. Him for us. The righteous Judge of this universe stepped out from behind the bench and took the accused and condmned's spot. He paid His own required penalty. Wow!!

I digress.

Read John 13:1-30

The other major event in the late hours of Thursday evening is Jesus' time in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Read John 17

The horrible events of Good Friday occur in the early morning hours. Before you do anything else Friday morning, no matter how early you have to start your day, or if you're off from work, no matter how late you sleep in, do this for me:
Have your devotional time by reading Friday's blog-end timeline.

We will all do what we will do on Friday, I get it. Just remember, while you are having your second cup of coffee at 9:00, Jesus was on the cross.

See you tonight.

In Christ,
Pastor Todd

Following an exact timeline of the Holy Week is nearly impossible, and, thus, unrequired. The traditional outline of His week does not include any known activities on Wednesday. However, I am not going to give you the day off, especially since we have no services this evening. I ask you to read Matthew's account. Go back to Matthew 21 and re-read about the entry that we spoke of on Sunday, and read through chapter twenty-five. Matthew records in chapter 26 the anointing at Bethany, which very likely happened on Monday, not right before he gave us the Passover Meal with Jesus' disciples on Thursday. There are some profound statements given by our Lord that you need to be familiar with regardless of when He made them.

Matthew's audience were Jews. He seeks to give them a portrait of Jesus as King and Messiah they sought for and longed for. The key word in His Gospel is fulfilled. The recorded teachings of Jesus here are not found elsewhere. His writing moves from narrative to Discourse throughout. He uses this style to affirm God's program through His Son, Jesus.

You'll find the suggested reading to be some narrative, but mostly Discourse. Jesus teaching and profound insights should have proved to a Jewish audience that He was who He claimed to be. These things should affirm that same truth in us as well. May our Lord infuse us with blessing, hope, and encouragement as we listen to Him, walk with Him, and watch Him make His way to His cross He willingly bore for us.


In Christ,
Pastor Todd

To get a true understanding of all that transpired during our Lord's last week on earth before His bodily crucifixion, you will have to do some reading. You could begin in Mark 11, Luke 19:28, Matthew 24 and John 12, and read through the end of each Gospel. Each Gospel account covers different aspects. My favorite, however, is John's account, because of the details in the Garden. Matthew is the longest due to his record of Jesus' lengthy prophecy and details of the cross and resurrection that the others do not record. Mark is the briefest. Luke gives us details of Pilate, Herod, and the release of Barabbas.
You will gain something by reading them all and miss things by not. But I know your time is limited, so let me continue on with what we think happened on Tuesday:

-The Sanhedrin challenge Jesus' authority (Luke 20:1-8).
-Jesus foretells the destruction of Jerusalem and His return (Matthew 24, 25).
-Mary anoints Jesus at Bethany (John 12:2-8). *Some may have this at a different time.*
-Judas bargains with the Jewish rulers to betray Jesus (Luke 22:3-6).

Absorb as much as you can and thank Him everyday for the depths of love it took for Him to endure all He did.


In Christ,
Pastor Todd

The Gospels' writers devoted much of their material to the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus. The final week of His earthly ministry began with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the "Hosannas" from the crowd that changed to cries of "crucify Him" before the week was over. Jesus apparently spent most of the week teaching in the Temple area during the day. His evenings were spent in the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in Bethany. Significant events during the week included the plot of the Sanhedrin, Jesus' betrayal by Judas and Jesus' arrest, the mock trial He endured, His journey to Golgotha down the Jerusalem street known today as the Via Dolarasa (way of suffering), His crucifixion and all He endured between the trial and His death, concluding with the triumphant resurrection on the following Sunday morning.

Read Mark 11:1-11

Following the traditional view of His entry on Sunday, all we know He did on Monday was cleanse the Temple in Jerusalem.

Read Mark 11:15-19

I dealt with that account a few weeks ago suggesting that we need to let God clean our House as He did the Temple. We are the temple of the Holy spirit.

Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I suggest that our Lord was angry because of how the money changers were dealing unfairly and mistreating those who came to worship and make sacrifice. It had become a den of thieves instead of a house of prayer. hen the people heard He was there, the blind and lame came to Him for healing. Upon healing them, they worshiped Him. I emphasized this by saying that our lives/Spiritual houses are to be filled with prayer, power, and praise.

Jesus spent His last week preparing the scene for His departure. His ministry was one of sacrifice and death. He died for you, now He asks you to live for Him.


In Christ,
Pastor Todd

Spring is a wonderful time of year. Winter is over and with it comes warmer days and nights, green grass, budding trees and pops of color that reveal our God's mighty hand of Creation. Baseball is beginning, the Masters is soon and, of course, March madness is underway. Spring breaks bring time off and with the thought of summer quickly approaching, vacations are being planned. But perhaps the greatest thing that spring produces is the celebration of the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of our Lord. It is true that Christmas and Thanksgiving receive more notoriety. I certainly enjoy them both. But without Easter, however, our faith would be futile and our existence most pitiful.

I am not sure which result of Christ's Atonement is the most valuable, so I will make no effort to qualify them. I will take this opportunity to make sure you are familiar with a few of the most frequently discussed results of His vicarious, substitutionary Atonement of the cross of Calvary.

What Jesus offered in place of us (Hebrews 7:27) was His own blood (Hebrews 9:12). This means that the offering was not only substitutionary, it was also vicarious. In law, vicarious responsibility is the principle of act where one person is held accountable for the action of another. Jesus took upon Himself (Isaiah 53) and the guilt and penalty that was ours. Believers were united in Him (Romans 6) in His death and resurrection. The result is new life for all who are in Christ. Our sins were imparted to Him and His righteousness was imputed to us. Having come to Christ for salvation means that we have been declared righteous and, therefore, have a new standing before a Holy God.

Justification is that gracious and judicial act of God whereby a soul is granted complete absolution from all guilt and a full release from the penalty of sin (Romans 3:23-25). No Christian can understand the works of Christ apart from the writings found in the Epistle to the Hebrews or the Epistle of Paul to the Romans, nor the results of them.

Positional sanctification is a one-time act of the Holy Spirit in the life of an unbeliever to bring them into a spirit of believing and repenting. Experiential or progressive sanctification is the action taken on behalf of the convert to allow the Holy Spirit to transform their life through daily devotion and renewal. Both graces are the concern of faith in Christ, but in different ways. In justification, our faith results in being forgiven, accepted, and accounted righteous (Romans 4:1-4) in God's sight. In sanctification, that same faith actively and eagerly takes up all the commands that Christ has given His followers.

Because Jesus allowed Himself to be our propitiation, we gladly follow Him in the process of sanctification. Propitiation means that Christ's sacrifice satisfied the wrath of the Holy God due upon believers because of our sin nature received through the original sin of Adam, the first man and the father of all. The word appears four times: Romans 3:25, Hebrews 2:17, 1 John 2:2, and 1 John 4:10. In each case, the word is used to express the grace of God, which allows Jesus' sacrifice to be the means by which our sins are given by Him, taking our punishment and God's wrath.

By His gracious act we have been redeemed and thus reconciled to our Father. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by purchasing us through His shed blood. We were aliens and strangers having become enemies of God by our sin nature and our sinful acts, but God bought us back (Ephesians 1:7) but really you need to read Ephesians chapter one through chapter two and verse ten to really appreciate your new standing and the how and why of it.

Why does celebrating Easter seem so necessary? Well, it is simple, isn't it? He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. We experience justification, redemption, reconciliation, sanctification by His propitiation and, oh yes, one more glorious "ion" word: Glorification. One day we shall receive a name and a new body. We shall live with Him for all eternity in a new Heaven and a new earth! What a day that shall be! Praise Him! Happy Easter, church!
He is risen, risen indeed!


In Christ,
Pastor Todd

Peter challenged believers to take full advantage of the divine power and promise of God which made it possible to participate in the divine nature and, thus, overcome the corruption caused by evil desires (3-4). Based on this promised power, Peter further challenged Christians to practice the characteristics of the divine nature (5-11).

In this beautiful paragraph, Peter orchestrates a symphony of grace. To the melody of faith, he leads believers to add harmony in a blend of seven virtues. A carnal Christian has spiritual myopia (nearsightedness), but a devoted Christian is both effective and productive (8-9) in their understanding of the Lord Jesus and the application of grace necessary to possess biblical principles in daily life.

Christ's divine power has provided believers everything we need for life and godliness (v.3). "Divine" translates "theis" which is from "theos", "God," and is used only three times in the New Testament. "Power" (dynameos) is where we get our English word "dynamite." All that believers need for a vital/dynamic/spiritual life is attainable through Christ. "Knowledge" (epignosis) is full and complete awareness only provided for those who ABIDE IN Christ, our Lord and Savior. Our being in Him is a calling and, I would submit, a privilege afforded to all, but only accepted by few.

My focus in these blogs, and my entire ministry of thirty years, has been and will continue to be earnestly urging people like you to get fully emersed in Christ. Picture wading into the ocean. The waves, even on a calm day on the East Coast of North Carolina, will beat you down as they break right on the shoreline. However, if you forge through just ten, twenty, then thirty feet, there is a sweet spot. Get out too deep and you cannot touch the bottom. Too close in, and the waves are just relentless, but find the right spot for you, and you can float and swim for hours rolling on top of the waves.

Countless folks have turned back both in the ocean and in faith because it was too hard initially. My passion is getting you in touch with the sustaining presence and power of God so you never turn back.

I mentioned Sunday about trying not to use the phrase "Believers must" because it implies self-effort and self-success. Let me put it this way: if you read 5b-7, for example, without fully getting hold of 3-5a, you will easily have the waves of life beating you back. The doctrine of truth and hope is given first, then the practical expectation of God for His children. Again, this is the Abiding Life. Again, this is the Wonder, Spirit-Filled Life I keep trying to describe to you. This is how you overcome temptation, live victoriously, say no, say yes, put off, put on, forgive the unforgiveable, and love the unlovable.

Because we participate in Christ's divine nature and possess exceedingly great and precious promises (4), we can escape the corruption of this world. Thus, Peter writes: "Also for this reason." It is the same as saying "therefore." I am confident that you struggle with (5b-7) and I am equally confident you want to be fruitful and spiritually successful (8-9). If I am accurate, then apply the truth and let God work in you before you attempt to work on all your issues, passions, plans and desires. Yes, you must give all diligence and you must add to your faith (5-7) but it is all based on what He has already done for you and put into you (9). By abiding in Christ, He makes all things possible. I want you to be the best version of yourself. That is only possible by His graces.

Read Zachariah 4:6

The might and power spoken of is man's might and man's power. Our flesh is often ready, but until God's Spirit is inside us, liberating and in control, we will fall and fail over and over. When is the last time you acknowledged to yourself and to God your weaknesses, inabilities, and unwillingness, and said "God, I want to _____, no, I need to _____, but I just can't, please help me."

I literally think every time I have ever been to the ocean I have seen a parent hold a kid's hand while the waves knock them down. The kid gets sand and salt in their eyes and they go cry and dry off, only to repeat it over and over again. It appears to be abuse, but the kid wants to play and they are not tall enough or strong enough to forge out any deeper. They are babes, and, as you watch this scene unfold, you know that next year, or the year after, eventually, they will get out to the sweet spot, but how many times will they pound sand until then? You and I are not babes. We are ready to go deeper.

Read Hebrews 5:12-6:1

In Christ,

Pastor Todd 

A Christian is "a new creature in Christ" (2 Cor. 5:17), yet, for most believers, this new status too often remains an unclaimed treasure. They know that they are (or at least are supposed to be) united with Christ, but that new union has little or no effect on their lives. What's gone wrong? Our union with Christ must be experienced - we must abide with Christ.

Read John 15:1-17

Jesus expressed the need for engagement in this union in John 15. The fact of our union with Him is clear:
"I am the vine, you are the branches." (v.5).
But this union requires a continuing action:
"Abide in Me, as I abide in you." (v.4).

Our objective state calls for a subjective experience. We move from the indicative (what is true of us) to the imperative (what we must do), with the former providing the essential basis for the latter. Living out our new status is the over arching theme of the New Testament.

The Puritans emphasized the distinction between our status and our experience by speaking of union and communion. We are united to Christ by faith through the gracious work of God's Spirit. Now we must seek to live out that union in a relationship of communion with God. The union precedes the communion and provides the sure basis for it grounded entirely in the saving work of God (Philippians 2:12-13). Our experience of communion can fluctuate with our inconsistent efforts to engage in those activities which foster a harmonious relationship. God's love, however, does not fluctuate, for we have a union with Christ that nothing can separate (Romans 8:31-39).

If you want to know how and why we should abide in Him, just consider the union between the Father and His Son described in detail throughout John's Gospel. His primary theme was that Jesus was sent by the Father and, through Him, we see the Father. Their dynamic relationship energized Jesus' ministry. Out of this personal union come His teachings, works, and wonders, which manifest the very character and essence of God.

This relationship between the Father and the Son is the model and source of the relationship between Jesus and His disciples (us!). Jesus called His followers to this state of abiding by using the most graphic imagery:
"He who eats of My flesh and drinks of My blood abides in Me and I in him" (John 6:56).

This is our most clear call to spiritual intimacy anywhere in Scripture. Just as the Father has loved Jesus, so Jesus has loved His disciples, and they are to abide in His love (15:9) Just as Jesus has remained in His Father's love by obeying His commands, so the disciples are to abide in Jesus' love by obeying His commands (15:10). And as they abide in Him, Jesus will convey His life to them, even as a vine gives life to its branches (15:4-6). His life will manifest itself in the disciples' lives as they bear fruit, just as His works were the works of His Father. Apart from Him, His disciples can do nothing (15:5), just as Jesus could do nothing apart from the Father (15:19,30).

Abiding in Christ is the essence of the promise of the New Covenant - the God who commands us from the outside in the Old Covenant now comes to live within us in the new. Christ is now the basis, the cause and the source of every possible Holy Affection, i.e. godly, righteous and holy act done by us. As we entrust ourselves to Christ and depend upon Him, we are like branches that draw on the vitality of the vine to produce good fruit.

To abide in Christ is to recognize the Gospel as reality and to live in the light of it. To help us God has given us "His Graces"- His presence, His Word, His people, and His Spirit. Let us not forget our ability to pray. We can call on the Almighty for His power at any point needed. We share a life with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are truly without excuse. This is a profound mystery (Ephesians 5:32). Abiding in Christ is a gracious work of the Spirit (1 John 4:13). He is the wind behind our sails. Without Him, we can do nothing, but with Him, well . . . LOOK OUT!!!

I intend for this writing to be the foundation of most blogs to come. For example, I hope my next post will be on an action, say, for example, forgiveness. You and I cannot do the heavy lifting alone. Spiritual Disciples - Holy Affections, must be resourced by God is true and lasting. Every blog so far has been on that order. We have to take the training wheels off now, time for the floaties to go away. It's time to study and live. Theology proceeds action. The best version of ourselves is only possible by His presence, power, and provision. Three reasons to get this life as right as possible:

1. Him
2. Others
3. Yourself

How you order them depends on where you are in your journey, Might even depend on the day or your circumstances, but getting this life right is not only possible, but also logical. Why not? I believe you truly want to go on with God and be your best self. So, let's do it. Let's abide in Christ and conquer our "demons" and "carry our cross" til' He comes.



In Christ,
Pastor Todd

Do you talk to yourself? You might say sure, if I didn't, I would never hear from anyone. You might say sure, I have to, because I am the only one that agrees with me. You might say sure, I have to, because I am the smartest person in my life.

Sometimes loneliness, stubbornness, or arrogance gets in our way. You might say no  because you are embarrassed to admit it, but I think everyone talks to themselves occasionally. I talk to myself all the time and I am glad because it has enhanced my willingness to talk to God more and more. Some unfortunate souls are never alone or quiet long enough to talk to themselves or God. I do not enjoy the radio or music, I don't particularly enjoy the phone for gossipy conversation, I don't do social media; when I am home, I do enjoy the television, but I do not have it on for noise, I don't play video games on my phone or any place else, so I spend a lot of time alone in the car and at the office, and, now that Wanda works and coaches, and the kids have their own lives, I spend more time alone at home.

Through my willingness to talk to myself and all the time alone with no other occupation of my mind, I carry an ongoing conversation with God. It is a habit that has served me well. It is a habit that, I fear, might be difficult for our younger generations to develop. There is so much competition today for our time, energy, and mind.

So, in our quiet time, in our alone time, in our time purposefully talking to God, let’s use that time to take every thought captive unto the Lord. How do we do that? I can tell you how I do it: I talk to God about everything, constantly, throughout the day. Just everything that comes to my mind. Every issue, every decision. I share my concerns with Him, from finding the best parking spot and my personal temptations, to needs within my family and needs within our church. Just talk talk talk.

The Deacon Body of our church meets every Sunday and usually one night during the month. In our meetings over the last three months, there has been a renewed focus on God. This was the main motivation for me to issue the Twenty-One Day Challenge and to write the blogs.

Each man has told me that the blogs helped them and their focus is indeed renewed on Christ. I pray that is true for you. Several of our church family has shared that they are having devotions with God several times a week. I am thrilled!

Verse five concludes with this phrase: "bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." We must understand that we are in a battle. There is a war between God and Satan for our minds. The more your thoughts are centered in Christ, the easier this submission becomes. The challenge of being Christ-centered in your actions, let alone your thoughts, is that Satan does not want it, your natural flesh does not want it, and even your most staunch loved ones may say they want you to be Christ-centered, but, when it effects them in what they perceive is a negative way, they will not want it either.

Fulfilling this desire that Christ has implanted within you will be the most daunting challenge of your life. Every day, every decision, every thought, every moment submitted to Christ's Lordship in your life will not come by your determination or good intentions, but rather by the power of God's Spirit. We are told, therefore, "Be filled with the Spirit." The present aorist verb indicates that this must be a continuous action requested and desired by the believer.

In the blogs we covered what the wonderful, Spirit-filled life is all about. These verses here are both the how and the what. When you win, Satan loses. Strongholds in your life are destroyed when you win. When every thought is brought into captivity and checked to see if it pleases and honors God, you win the battle for your mind in that moment. The process must be repeated over and over again. You cannot take a decision off. It truly can be exhausting- that is, until the habit is formed and the reality is settled in your mind that you are in a war, but you have every weapon necessary to win the battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil for your mind.

Read Ephesians 6:10-18

If you have been born again, Christ has your soul. This battle is about honoring God and living the life He designed for just you. A life of victory.

Will you ask God right now to remind you to spend time with Him. Ask Him to search your life for an unconfessed sin that you need to repent of, then repent. Ask Him to free you from tyranny of the urgent. Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit that this warfare might be made plain to you and then please ask God to take control of your thoughts.

 Now, I'm going to ask you to unplug just a little from all that dominates your thoughts and give a little more of yourself to God every day. Practice, plan, pray, and hope that a habit forms that He may be able to affect you more readily.

I believe that these writings are giving people the resource of material they need to spend time with God. Going forward, we might deal with subjects that are not necessarily devotional in content or nature. I hope they will be helpful as well.
Please let me know if there is a subject you would like me to address.
Thank you for your time!

In Christ,
Pastor Todd

Nothing lasts forever.

Christians understand that there are eternal realities, but we also recognize that our time on earth is fleeting. Someone once said, "The minutes go slowly but the years go so quickly." The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:6 that people who walk in wisdom redeem the time. I hope that you are making the most of every opportunity God gives you. I hope that this season of renewal that we have been on together becomes a spark of revival in your life that gives you whatever you need to keep going on in your journey of deeper intimacy with our Lord.

One of the most hypocritical things we say (pray) to God is "give me an opportunity." I believe deeply that the opportunity is already there in front of us. I did not plan it this way, I promise, but it is before 6:00 AM as a write this blog. I share that because it is a little unfair, don't you think, to apologize to God for not getting something done late in the day when time is wasted on other things, perhaps less critical.

We need time for sleep, food, exercise, entertainment, work, family, household chores, you name it. Most of us carve out the time for things we deem important. What is most important to you? Is it prayer, listening, fasting, studying, witnessing, serving, giving, and worshiping, or are they those things we hope to make time for and, when we do, we feel good, and when we don't, we feel guilty?

Stop the cycle.

Far too many Christians live with guilt and regret. Fix it! Stop saying things like "I just don't see how." Rather, ask yourself, "How can I?" Even better, why not ask God to give you the conviction to make it happen.

I am merely trying to leave this spiritual journey we have been on together on a note of encouragement. I encourage you to "get busy living, or get busy dying." (my favorite quote from the Shawshank Redemption). You can fast; I assure you, it will be odd at first, but I challenge you to skip one meal one day and take that time to pray and read. You will be amazed how liberating it will be, and soon you will get to twenty-four hours, and who knows what from there. You can get up earlier. You can stay up later. You can turn something off or put something down. Time and opportunities are there, we just have to seize them. We have to discipline ourselves.

If your daily devotional life was solid before this began, or is on solid ground now, awesome! Most are not quite there yet. Pray for one another; better yet, mentor someone that might be struggling. Just as critical as a good diet and staying hydrated is for our bodies, I assure you that daily time with God is just as crucial to your spiritual, mental, and emotional health. Through it, our vision is shaped, our perspective is changed and our faith is strengthened. I honestly believe that we constantly live on the verge of opportunities that are bursting with God-sized potential, but to experience them requires faith-filled action. God wants to speak to you, use you, bless you, guide you. He wants to be in your life. Will you continue on a path to allowing all those things and more to happen?

My intentions are to continue to write something at least weekly. I do so because I believe many Christians would have daily time with God if they had something to read, a plan, a program they were a part of, like this Twenty-One Day challenge. Any day I don't write, or if I do and it just doesn't speak to you, read a chapter in Proverbs. There are thirty-one of them. Tomorrow is the 8th, so read chapter eight, etc.. Read a Psalm. Read one until you find the one that is for you that day. Ask God to allow you to turn in that moment to the thought He has for you. You can never go wrong by reading the Gospels or the letters of Paul. It's all GOOD!!! Lol.

I submit, again and again and again, that you destroy apathy by developing intimacy. You can only develop intimacy when apathy has been destroyed. Intimacy takes time and effort with God, just as a marriage does. Show God how important He is to you by giving Him some of the most valuable things a person has - Time. Only then will you see the opportunities that God has laid out before you.

Psalm 27:8 states: "When you said, 'Seek My face' my heart said to you, Lord, Your face I will seek."


In Christ,
Pastor Todd