Devotions Archives - Page 5 of 13

Dealing with Anxiety

Posted on Jan 8, 2021 by admin in Devotions |

January 8, 2020

What did Jesus do with His anxiety? He talked to His friends. He talked to His Father. And He talked to His feelings. And that’s how you’re going to handle your anxiety.

Friend, let these words sink in deep. Here’s what God is saying to you today about anxiety: “Do not be anxious about anything.” I could put some words in there for you. Do not be anxious about this virus. (Is that too big to say?) Do not be anxious about the economy. Do not be anxious about your kids, or your bills, or your future. “But in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and … Watch this! Watch this! The very same thing Jesus experienced! … the peace of God, which transcends all human understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

Those of you who need that peace of God, would you just nod your head … just nod your head yes. Yes, that’s me. Yes, I’m ready to receive that gift this morning.

It is the peace of God that will guard you. It is the peace of God that will stand watch over your heart and over your mind. It is the peace of God that is beyond any words to describe it, any intellect to fathom it.

It’s not a peace generated by you. It’s not a peace based on circumstances. That means the world can’t give it to you. And the world can’t take it from you.

You understand that even when your soul feels overwhelmed with anxiety, there is no storm that God cannot bring you through. There’s no obstacle that God cannot help you overcomes. There’s no enemy that our God cannot defeat. There is no heartache that our God cannot heal.

This peace comes from Jesus. When I say Jesus, the very mention, it shatters the darkness, and it calms my soul. When I say Jesus, even in a whisper, it breaks through my doubting, People of God, until all my fear gone. Jesus – that Name Above All Names – before whom angels bow and demons tremble. We go to Him …

Jesus, Name Above All Names, here is my biggest anxiety … the thing that worries me. I bring it to You. I know that before I even had this worry, You had a solution. Before I even had this problem, You had a plan. Nothing is too small for You to care about, or too big for Your power. So I leave this with You. I will stop worrying and let You handle it now. I will do what I can do, do my best, and trust You for the rest.

Now, that I have brought this to You, I feel the peace of God, which transcends all human understanding. If I allow it, Your peace will stand guard like a sentry, guarding over my heart and my mind. For I am safe in You, in Your love, in Your care, Christ Jesus. And I pray humbly in Your Name, Amen.

Dec '20

Sheep

Posted on Dec 18, 2020 by admin in Devotions |

Dec '20

December 18, 2020

The Problem

Let’s start with the problem. Isaiah said, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We left God’s path to follow our own.” (Isaiah 53:6) Let me say that again. You guys are way too quiet. We’re like sheep – all of us. And the problem is, we’ve strayed away from God. We’ve left God’s path to go our own way.

Like sheep. That’s not a compliment. If Isaiah had said, “Men and woman, you are like lions” – that might have been a compliment. If he said, “You guys are like eagles” – that might have been a compliment.

But when he compared us to sheep, he was basically saying, “You guys are not the brightest crayons in the box.” Think about it! You can train a lot of animals. You can train a dog, you can train a dolphin, you can train an elephant, you can even train lions and tigers and bears – oh, my! But you can’t train a sheep.

The point is: Sheep’s not a compliment. Sheep are basically known for three things. They’re weak. They’re witless. And they’re wayward.

• Sheep are weak.

They’re totally defenseless. If a coyote comes after a sheep, how can a sheep defend itself? It can’t go, “Ha!” and flash its fangs. It can’t fly away, it doesn’t have quills, it can’t shoot poisonous balls of spit. They’re essentially defenseless. They don’t even say, “Hey, you run that way, I’ll run this way, then one of us will live.” No, sheep huddle up and say, “Take your pick. Whichever one of us you want.” Sheep are weak. And …

• Sheep are witless.

In other words, they don’t think for themselves. They tend to follow the crowd. If one sheep does dumb stuff, the other sheep says, “Boy, that looks good. Count me in.” In fact – true story – in the year 2005, 1500 dumb sheep followed each other off a cliff in Turkey. 1500! You would think that after the first sheep, or the second sheep, or the third sheep, one of them would say, “This is not a good plan. I’m backing off.” But, no. 1500 had to follow each other off the cliff. The bad news is 400 of them died. The good news is, the rest lived because the first 400 made a sheep pillow, and the rest were going boing, boing, boing. Sheep are weak. Sheep are witless. And …

• Sheep are wayward.

They wander. “Hey, where ya going, little sheep?” I don’t know, looking for something. Happiness over here. Oh, if I buy those shoes, I’ll be happy. Nope, that doesn’t make me happy. That just makes me in debt. I’ll try that experience over there. Oh, no. That hurt. When Isaiah said, “All of us are like sheep,” he wasn’t saying, “Wow, you guys are amazing!” He was saying, “You need a lot of help.”

So, what’s the answer? Isaiah told us straight out. Right here in the pages of Scripture, Isaiah told us. 700 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah told us. And 700 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah said, “God is going to send us the answer. Let me tell you what to watch for. Let me tell you the details.”

We’ve got a problem, folks. But here’s the answer …

The Answer

God will send His own Son to die in our place. God will take care of our problem. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s path to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on Him – Jesus, God’s own Son, will be the answer – the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet He never said a word. Remember, when Jesus was put on trial, he never said a word to defend Himself. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. (Isaiah 53:6-7) 700 years later, John the Baptist would point to Jesus and say, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Have you ever been hurt? Mistreated, rejected, attacked? Jesus understands! He was despised and rejected – a man of sorrows, acquainted with the deepest grief … Yet it was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins! No, men and women, no! When Jesus went to that cross, He was there to cross-out our sins. When He was hung on that cross, He was hung up for our hang-ups! He was whipped and beaten, punished and pierced – remember those nail-pierced hands! He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. (Isaiah 53:3-5)
Let me tell you something else: His hands and feet were pierced, but it wasn’t nails that held Him to that cross … it was love. Love for you. Love for me.

Nov '20

Consider it Pure Joy

Posted on Nov 12, 2020 by admin in Devotions |

Nov '20

November 12, 2020

It’s so mind-blowing that if you’re in the middle of a trial right now, God’s Word would say this to you:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

If you’re in the middle of it right now, isn’t it something that God would bring you that particular word of encouragement on this particular day, when you’re going through everything you’re going through?

It says, if you’re in the middle of something right now, if you’re facing resistance right now, consider it pure joy. In other words, you should thank God for it! Because that trial does something to you – it produces perseverance. And that perseverance is going to make you mature and complete, not lacking anything. What does it do? I’ll tell you what it’s doing: It’s preparing you for your future. It’s preparing you for your purpose.

Listen to me. Could it be that God’s preparation comes packaged as pain? Could it be that the very thing you’ll need to excel in the future, He’s preparing in you right now?

You say, “Jeff, it all feels pointless. I’m feeling so discouraged. I’m feeling so beat up.”

Put your confidence in God. He’s doing something in your life.

Sometimes I tell myself, “It’s not pain. It’s preparation. It’s not what’s happening to me, it’s what’s happening in me. God is making me strong. God is making me mature. He’s preparing me for what’s coming.”

You’ve just got to change your perspective. You’re not being turned down, you’re being toughened up. Let me tell you something about me. I’m a lot stronger than I was twenty years ago. But let me tell you what made me strong. It wasn’t all the success. It wasn’t all the compliments. I wasn’t all the love you gave me. It was the hard times. It was the failures, the disappointments, the losses. Now, I see: I wasn’t being turned down, I was being toughened up. I don’t view it as pain, I view it as preparation.

Preparation for my God-given destiny.

Oct '20

Ambassador of Christ

Posted on Oct 9, 2020 by admin in Devotions |

Oct '20

October 9, 2020

Who are you representing?

When you walk into a room, when you post online, when you talk – who are you representing?

And please don’t give me that pathetic Sunday School answer. “Ahhh, Jesus! Like the Sunday School teacher who says, “What’s gray and fluffy, has a tail, climbs in trees and eats nuts?” And a kid turns to his friend and says, “Gray and fluffy, climbs in trees and eats nuts? Sure sounds like a squirrel, but I better go with Jesus!” Hey, don’t do that. Don’t do that please. Think.

Who are you really representing? I’ll tell you how it is with me. This is really kind of embarrassing. Don’t leave the church, don’t stop tithing, just pray for me. But it’s like this: I can be like having this great time with my family. And all of a sudden, I think, This will look great on Instagram and Facebook. Everybody get around me and look happy. Here let me hold a grandchild. Perfect. Once I post this people will think I’m human, not just some weirdo pastor. In other words, I having a perfect moment with my family. This meaningful moment. This moment of, This is what life’s all about. And my only thought … my only thought … is, How can I capture this to post it and get lots of likes.

Who am I representing? Who are you representing? The Bible tells you who you should be representing – 2 Corinthians 5:20 – “So we are Christ’s ambassadors!” What are we? Ambassadors! Christ’s ambassadors!

What is an ambassador? An ambassador is the highest-ranking diplomat sent from one nation to another nation to represent the home territory. If you are an ambassador of Christ, who are you? You are the highest- ranking diplomat sent from Heaven to Earth to represent our God. That’s who you are.

Who are you representing?

• When you walk into the room, light walks into the room.
• When you walk into the workplace, hope walks into your workplace.
• When you walk into your own home at the end of a long day, love walks into your home.

You are representing Christ by what you say, how you act, how you post, how you love.

Sep '20

When Life Stinks

Posted on Sep 11, 2020 by admin in Devotions |

Sep '20

September 11, 2020

When Life Stinks

Give the fertilizer time to work.

There was a young woman who grew up in a very difficult environment. Her father died when she was just six years old, and her mother was on dialysis. When other kids were out playing with their friends or doing cheerleading, she was at home taking care of her mom, running the kidney machine. By the time she was 12, she had to do all the grocery shopping, cook for the family, and get her little brother dressed and ready for school.

It seemed like she was at a disadvantage. But just because something is unfair doesn’t mean God doesn’t have a great future for you … if you give it some time.

This young woman didn’t complain or feel sorry for herself. Despite all the odds stacked against her, she worked hard in high school and got a full scholarship to college. She went on to get her Masters and then a Doctorate. Today she’s super successful in the corporate world and she’s happily married with three kids.

Here’s my question: Why do some people in the same type of situation struggle through life? Why do some people in the exact same situation live defeated, always complaining about their problems – while others overcome the odds and flourish?

The answer is: It’s how we approach life. We all have stuff that stinks; we all have unfair situations, things we don’t like. You can get bitter and discouraged … or you can see it as fertilizer and say, “This difficulty is not going to defeat me; it’s going to promote me. It’s not going to hinder me; it’s going to help me.”

So, the next time you see that person at work who gets on you nerves, instead of getting upset, just smile and say to yourself, “You’re just fertilizer. You stink, but you’re helping me grow.” Just look at them and say to yourself: “You think you’re pushing me down, but you’re really pushing me up.” Say, “I know a secret. It’s all just fertilizer. It’s going to cause me to bloom, and blossom, and flourish.”

Aug '20

Agents of Mercy

Posted on Aug 7, 2020 by admin in Devotions |

Aug '20

August 7, 2020

Okay, time to get down to business. Folks, the truth of the matter is, God has chosen you to be a part of His network … one of His special agents. What’s your assignment? He wants you to be an “agent of mercy” – an “agent of mercy” – to the people around you.

What’s the best way to do that in today’s world? Let me put it this way: As the world becomes more unkind, more mean, more crass … we need to become more kind. That’s what it means to be an “agent of mercy.”

Let me ask you this: Is the world today becoming more loving or more self-centered? Is the world today more polite than it was ten years ago or more rude? Politics … more unified or more divided? Don’t even get me started!

So here’s the big breakthrough thought for you: In a mean world, our greatest witness to the world is showing mercy.

In a mean, unkind world – filled with mean, unkind people – our greatest witness to the world is showing kindness. Our greatest witness to the world is showing mercy. Because it’s so unusual, it stands out. That’s why Jesus said: “Show mercy to others, just as your Father shows mercy to you!” (Matthew 6:36) Jesus was saying, “I want you to be a special agent – an “agent of mercy.”

Would you say this? Dear God, I want to be an “agent of mercy.” So, Lord, help me to start looking and listening for people’s needs. If I care, I have to be aware. Help me to see the needs of people at work, at school, with the people I hang around with.

Jul '20

What Holds You Captive?

Posted on Jul 3, 2020 by admin in Devotions |

Jul '20

July 3, 2020

So many people are stuck in the past. They’re just stuck and they can’t get on with the future because they can’t let go of the past. If that describes you, here’s what Jesus is saying to you this morning. “I was sent to announce freedom to all held captive and forgiveness to all who have been imprisoned.” (Isaiah 61:1) He’s not just talking about people in a cold cement prison cell. He’s talking about the emotional prisons, the emotional prisons that we lock ourselves up in.

Some of you right now, you are in a prison of regret. And you just can’t forgive yourself over that thing that happened in the past. You can’t let go of it. You’re in a prison of regret, over things you’ve done.
Some of you are in a prison of resentment, over things that have been done to They hurt me and I’m never going to let it go. I’m never going to let another man get close to me, because he hurt me so bad. I’m never going to open my heart to that again. I’m never going to stop being a victim. And you’re in a prison of resentment.
Some of you are in a prison of envy. How come my husband can’t be like her husband? How come they have a nice house and I’m stuck in this apartment?
Some of you are in a prison of worry. What if I get this virus? What if my work doesn’t get back to normal? What do I do with my kids if the schools don’t open in the fall? You worry constantly and you’re sick and tired. And you get sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Some of you are in a prison of addiction, and secret sins and secret habits. And you think: If we ever knew the real you … If they ever knew what goes on when I’m alone.

I ask you today: What holds you captive? What’s got you locked up inside? This morning Jesus holds out His hands to you. And He says, “I have come to save you and not to judge you.” (John 12:47) “I’ve come to help you, not hurt you; love you, not judge you.” I love Jesus! I want to be like Jesus. It’s not my job to judge the world. It’s my job is to point to the Savior.

Now, look at me. Let me be absolutely clear. There will be a Judgement Day. The Bible is clear about that. One day you are going to be required to give an account of your life to God. And that day is going to be a day of fearful judgment … only if you reject the mercy of God. God doesn’t want to judge you. He wants to show you mercy.

For you, it can be a day of celebration, of victory, of incredible eternal reward, of unspeakable joy! Joy – not judgment!
For you … Well, you’ll probably be an old man or an old woman when die. For you, it will be a day to get out of that wheelchair and dance!
For you, it will be a day throw aside your walker and jump in the air and click your heals!
For you, it will be a day to get the keys to your new home and get fitted for your new crown! Joy – not judgement!

So just go to God. Right now. While I’m still speaking. Go to God and say, “Lord, I’ve messed up. I want Your mercy.” And right now, God is instantly washing you clean. Right now, you are receiving forgiveness for all the times you messed up and freedom to change your future. And here’s what the Bible says, “Anyone who asks for mercy from the Lord shall have it and shall be saved.” (Acts 2:21)

Anyone. That’s me … that’s you … that’s awesome.

Jun '20

Fish and God

Posted on Jun 3, 2020 by admin in Devotions |

Jun '20

June 3, 2020

You can look forward to each new day. Why? Because the past is behind you and God is beside you. When you start each day, take the words of Joshua 1:9 and personalize them: “I am strong and courageous.” You’re walking into work: “I can face anything. I will not be anxious or afraid; I will not get discouraged, for the Lord my God will be with me wherever I go.”

The past is behind you and God is beside you. Remember the famous words from the Christmas story? “They will call Him Immanuel – which means, ‘God With Us.’”

In his book The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey talks about when he was a teenager and it finally dawned on him what an awesome thing it was that God is with us. He said he learned about God when he kept an aquarium. Management of an aquarium, he discovered, is no easy task. He had to monitor the nitrate levels and ammonia content. He pumped in vitamins and antibiotics. He filtered the water through glass fibers and charcoal, and exposed it to ultraviolet light.

“You would think,” he writes, “in view of all the energy expended on their behalf, that my fish would be grateful. Not so. Every time my shadow loomed above the tank, they dove for cover. They showed me only one emotion: fear. Although I opened the lid and dropped in food on a regular schedule, three times a day, they responded to each visit as a sure sign that I was there to hurt them. I could not convince them that I was watching over them and caring for them. I was too large for them, my actions too incomprehensible.

“And then it dawned on me: Those fish will never comprehend my actions. In order to be understood by them I would have to become one of them. I would have to become a fish and ‘speak’ to them in a language they could understand.”

And that is just what God did. That’s what the Bible says. The Bible says God is big and powerful and beyond our comprehension. So He became one of us. He lived among us and spoke a language we could understand. Now He has promised He will never leave us. Put the past behind you and God beside you.

May '20

Choose Gratitude

Posted on May 1, 2020 by admin in Devotions |

May '20

May 1, 2020

I know every good thing I have comes from God.

Here’s what it says in the Bible: “Every good and perfect gift comes from… Where? …above.” (James 1:17) You are such a good congregation today!

Christmas Day 1944. The soldier climbed out of his foxhole. The temperature was below zero. The snow creaked beneath his feet. Each breath sent a cloud of frost into the frigid morning air. The forest around him was quiet … unnaturally quiet.

Suddenly, there was the high screech of incoming artillery. Instantly, the air was exploding around him. Trees shattering. Men screaming. Bullets slicing the air. It was the bloody World War II Battle of the Bulge and he was in the dead center of it. He dove for the ground and, as the artillery shells exploded around him, he thought: This is it. The last Christmas I’ll ever have. I’ll never make it home.

Well, he was wrong about that. Boy, was he wrong! He made it home, became a founding member of this church, raised a beautiful family, and shared 71 more Christmas Days with them.

And on a Christmas Day … 71 years later … he died … at the age of 93. Back in 1944, the old fighter said, This is it. The last Christmas I’ll ever have. I’ll never make it home. On Christmas Day … 71 years later … he finally made it home. He looked around heaven and said: I’m home! Home for Christmas.

You know, he once said this to me: “Jeff, I cheated death back then. I don’t know why I lived and the guys around me died. The way I see it, now every day’s a bonus.”

Do you see that, too? Every day’s a gift. Every day’s a bonus. And every good thing I have, every good thing you have, comes from God. God gives life to bless you … health to strengthen you … friends to support you … family to love you … church to encourage you. Every good thing you have comes from God. We need to understand that God is completely good; He is constantly good; He is unchangingly good. God cannot be less than good. God will never not be good. Everything our God does is good and once we embrace that, it changes our attitude. Instead of an attitude of entitlement, we embrace an attitude of gratitude. The way I see it, every day is a bonus and every good gift comes from above.

Apr '20

A Great Work

Posted on Apr 10, 2020 by admin in Devotions |

Apr '20

I don’t know who this is going to speak to today … I don’t know who’s feeling this, but …

I’m visualizing maybe a young mom … and you’re trapped in the house by this virus. Sometimes you feel exhausted, just wiped out. And I hope you’ll hear this, you’ll feel this, because maybe you’re wishing you could do other things with your life right now. And I hope you realize that this season won’t last forever. And this just might be the best time you ever have to make some memories with those kids that will last a lifetime. And you can show them your faith and your strength and how your family can’t be broken. And guess what? What you’re doing right now is a great work. Embrace that great work. This season will pass, but the mark you make on those kids will never pass …. Young moms. You’re doing a great work.
I’m visualizing someone trying to pay off debt … and it is a slow dollar by dollar uphill climb and the hill feels so big. But whenever the enemy tells you that you’ll never make it, that it’s not worth it, just say, “You get off my back! I’m doing a great work. I’m doing what God has called me to do for my family and for my future” …. You’re doing a great work.
I’m visualizing someone trying to love someone. Maybe its your child and you just can’t seem to reach them. Maybe it’s your husband and his heart is just so hard. And you feel like giving up. You feel like walking out. But I want you to say, “I’m not going to give up on this relationship. I’m not going to walk out when this gets messy” … You’re doing a great work.
I’m visualizing someone battling addiction … It’s a fight every day. And these days you can’t even go to a meeting, because of this virus. So, you call your sponsor. And talk it out. And you know you can live one day at a time and you can make it through this day. You say, “I’ve been clean 90 days and I’m going to make it to 91” … You’re doing a great work.
I’m visualizing someone with a real heart for something, a vision for something, and you want to make a difference. And it seems like you take two steps forward and three steps back. But you don’t give up the fight. You’re going to stay in the game, because you know you haven’t lost until you quit …. You’re doing a great work.

Let’s bow our heads and go to God. Let me ask you this: What is it that’s got you feeling tired … like giving up … like just throwing in the towel?

Is it this virus? Is it your health? Maybe it’s your finances right now. This is a crazy time and I know so many of you have lost your job. Maybe it’s that addiction that won’t stop whispering in your ear, pulling at you. Maybe you’re just so tired of staying home – not getting out for school, for work, for friends.

Let me just say this. As the voice of Jesus, the Lord of Love: You’re doing a great work. Don’t give up.

Just pray: Dear Lord Jesus, Help me take it one day at a time. Help me keep working until the job is done. The truth is, I’ve come to see that I can’t do it by myself. I wasn’t designed for it. I need You in my life.

Lord, I bring my whole self to You right now. I want to trade my weakness for Your strength, my weariness for Your energy. I want to trade my anxiety for Your perfect peace, my chaos for Your calm confidence.

And on day, when I breathe my last breath in this world, I ask You to take me safely to heaven, where You’ll have a home waiting for me.

I pray this in Your name, Amen.