Sufficient Grace

Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace. – R. Otto

Abraham, Jacob, David, Peter, Paul….the list could go on and on with men like these who knew God lives on both sides of the grace equation. And that’s a good thing. AMEN!

As he so often does; the enemy of God tries to deceive us into thinking we are unworthy of God’s goodness in any case whether good or bad. If sin beats us, he screams “you’re not worthy of His forgiveness or mercy.” If blessings become us, he states “you don’t deserve such favor.” But God looks for opportunity in either case to extend His wonderful matchless grace to us. No matter what comes your way today or tomorrow, always remember “His grace is sufficient.”

Until Monday…..

Pastor Botts

“But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many….But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” – Romans 5:15, 20

P.S. - Don't forget tonight's African American Heritage Celebration at 7:30 PM.And Sunday's Campaign kick-off at 9AM.

Better with than without

We are all something, but none of us are everything. – B. Pascal

God said Adam would be better off with Eve, not without. Hmm!

No man is an island unto himself. No matter what he has accomplished thus far, no matter what great plans he has laid out for himself, he will need others in his life if for nothing else but to cheer him on. God has placed each of us in a position wherein we are not complete without Him, and the only way to be complete in Him is through relationships with others. Though Jesus often withdrew to “lonely places” to pray, he himself was not a loner. He surrounded himself with those who would help him carry out and complete his mission. He is our perfect example. When we try to go it alone or avoid the fellowship, we are actually only setting ourselves up for trouble.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’” – I Corinthians 12:21

Not always what you think

What is beautiful is not always good, but what is good is always beautiful. – Anon

Samuel wanted to anoint Jesse’s son Eliab because of his stature and appearance, but God told him to anoint ‘little ruddy David’ because of his heart. Hmm!

If there is one lesson we learn from nature it’s that beautiful can be deadly. Many plants and animals are very colorful, vibrant, and inviting – but deadly. In fact it is often their beauty that aids them in self-survival. We have an enemy that often operates in the same manner, masquerading as that which is beautiful but with evil, harmful intentions. But everything God brings to us is for our good, everything He brings us through is for our good. It may not look appealing or inviting at the time of occurrence but its purpose is designed for our good – that in the end we may bring glory to Him - and that is a most beautiful picture.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” – Galatians 1:6-7

Where ya goin?

If you have no idea where you want to go, then any old road will take you there. – D. Swanberg  

The bible is God’s love letter to us on how to reach His house. Based on the way we’re living apparently not many people want to go. Hmm!

It’s a common maxim but with a lot of truth: “Ready, aim, fire.” The truth of it is we’re more likely to hit the mark if we’re looking at the target and aiming for it. It’s the same in life, but it’s called planning. If our lives seem out of control it’s possibly because we have no plan to guide or direct us. Many of us founder about in life because we have no stated or intended purpose or plan. Before it is possible for us to achieve anything we must chart a course or plan of attack to help keep us in line and measure our progress, otherwise we’ll never know how we’re doing or where we’re headed. The key thing in all of this though; is to make sure our master plans line up with our Master’s Plan.  

Until tomorrow…..  

Pastor Botts  

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

No matter how you look at it

I haven’t committed a crime, what I did was fail to comply with the law. – Anon  

Saul thought he did nothing wrong in not completely destroying the Amalekites as God commanded, it only cost him a kingdom. Hmm!  

We often look at life and try to categorize it into big and little issues. And in the big issues we assign more weight to doing right or being obedient than we do in the smaller issues. In these so often we like to think its all in how you look at things, keep them in a shade of ‘grey’ to satisfy our inner self that we are okay with God. But God’s Word has no shade of ‘grey,’ and with Him there are no big or little issues. He means exactly what He says and when we fail to heed and obey in the least bit, no matter how we twist things to suit our situation, in His eyes its sin plain and simple. And no, it may not be a big deal in the way we look at things, but then again in the final analysis; our standing before Him and giving an account won’t be viewed in the way we look at things, but in the way He has already set forward.  

Until tomorrow….  

Pastor Botts  

“…Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, SINS.” – James 4:17

Get on with it

Even if you can’t get over it, get on with it! – R. Gilbert  

Esau was infuriated with his brother Jacob for ‘stealing’ his blessing, but he managed to make a good life for himself and his people. It changed his heart too! WOW!  

Life is a series of actions, circumstances, and events that come upon us all. And oftentimes the end results are not pleasant or to our liking. But we must remember God is not so much concerned about our ‘comfort’ in life as He is with our character. The things He allows (and yes sometimes he uses our enemies) are to help shape and mold us into what He needs us to be. We injure ourselves and slow our progress when we hold grudges or revenge in our heart – its just excess baggage. Our lives should not be on hold because of what happened yesterday, we should be continually pressing on toward ‘the prize.’  

Until Monday…..  

Pastor Botts  

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw of everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance, the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1

Bearers of the Good News

The word #Angel simply means “#Messenger.” If angels are messengers, then someone, somewhere must be sending a message. – D. Schaeffer  

Jesus told the religious leaders the very scriptures they read ‘testified’ of his coming. They completely missed the point. WOW!  

Texts, E-mail, snail-mail, voice-mail, etc, etc. etc.! We all like receiving these when the news or message is good. We also like to tell or share with others good news or fortune. God has given us the GREATEST NEWS to share – The Gospel – and He needs as many ‘angels’ as possible to share it with others. We may not have wings, but we’ve got hands, ears, eyes, voice, and feet to express the message. God has granted each of us TODAY! We’re ambassadors for His grace. The question is what will your message be to those God sends your way today?    

Until tomorrow….  

Pastor Botts  

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” – I Peter 3:15

His story, His glory

History is HIS story. – R. Warren  

The prophets, apostles, and even Jesus told the same message – God is working things out to His own glory. Hmm!  

Most of us will probably never write a book, play, or song, or create a great piece of art that says this is who I am. We will not go down in history like Dr. King, Mother Teresa, Shakespeare or the likes of them. But that’s okay, we were not meant to be those individuals – just ourselves. And even in this God has something He wants to say to the world through our lives. God wants others to know of Him through the way we live – great or small – and the service we give. That’s the great thing about life for God, its service oriented; which gives us all an equal playing field to work with. The question we need to ask ourselves is: what is my life saying right now?  

Until tomorrow….  

Pastor Botts  

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders, make the most of every opportunity.” – Colossians 4:5

The Choice Is Yours

First say to yourself what you will be; then do what you have to do to be. – Epictetus  

Joshua made his choice loud and clear to all who would listen “me and my house will be servants of the Lord” and backed it up. He was a blessed man. AMEN!  

God has given us many assurances of who we are as his children (loved, accepted, redeemed, protected, chosen, lenders not borrowers, the head not the tail, etc.) and what we should be. The decision has always been up to us to live like it. Maybe, just maybe at this point in our life we need to give up on trying to find the ‘secret’ to life and accept THE WAY of life. It’s the only way we can then claim the heritage and promises God has already laid out for us. There is no magic to it, just an acceptance of who God is and what He’s already done. To be anywhere outside the will of God makes no sense at all, but the choice is all ours.  

Until Monday……  

Pastor Botts  

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13

Know the Way?

Most people want a roadmap to their future rather than a relationship with the One who holds tomorrow. – H. Blackaby
 
The religious leaders and Gentiles of Jesus’ day were always seeking signs to follow, while the Way, Truth, and Life stood right before them. Hmm!  

Though we say we live by faith very often we are people of certainty. We want guarantees, warranties, and pre-arranged end results in our lives. So for us it often seems easier to follow a ‘plan’ than to cultivate or build a relationship based on trust. We become more concerned with what lies ahead in our future than walking intimately with God day by day. But the same future we’re looking to reach is still in the hands of the One who is with us right now. He holds tomorrow and the day after, so maybe we should focus on knowing Him. He’s promised the plans He has for us are good.  

Until tomorrow….  

Pastor Botts  

“If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.” – Numbers 14:8

Weeds

No garden is without its weeds. – T. Fuller  

Even in the 12 Jesus personally chose after praying all night, there was one bad seed. Hmm!  

Floral arrangements are truly beautiful, but they are just that – arrangements. Pre-picked and pre-arranged for their beauty. Life is not pre-picked or pre-arranged, and much to our dismay it can’t be. Even in our homes, on our jobs, in our relationships, churches and organizations; no matter where we go we will find that all is not picture perfect. Weeds (problems or issues) are a fact of life. It’s difficult sometime to determine how the weeds get in our garden, but suffice it to say that we deal with imperfect people and we ourselves are imperfect. Often, we need the weeds in our life to force us to grow stronger in our foundations and principles of righteousness for the kingdom’s sake. The key is not to get ‘choked’ out by them but to hold on until harvest.  

Until tomorrow……  

Pastor Botts  

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares……when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared…” – Matthew 13:35

Jeet Yet? (Did you eat yet)

Jets run on jet fuel, rockets run on rocket fuel, diesels run on diesel fuel. Most Christians run on….….empty! - Anon  

Jesus called the Pharisees and teachers of the law (the religious leaders of his day) hypocrites – inside they were empty, full of dead men’s bones. OUCH!  

It’s no secret that everything has a power source. Whether it be liquid, solid, electrical, heat, light, or even physical; everything has a power source. What’s amazing is how we can go great distances or spans of time without any connection to the Heavenly Father or His Son. Just as our physical body requires daily nourishment for development, strength, and endurance; our spiritual nature requires it so much more. If we are truly fighting a ‘spiritual battle’ it only makes sense we nourish our spirit with the things it needs to properly develop that we may fight a good fight. Sunday’s are great, but not quite enough to last a whole week. If God is doing new things everyday it only makes sense to check in with Him each day. No man has ever been defeated or humiliated for spending too much time with Him.  

Until tomorrow…..   Pastor Botts  

“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for the received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” – Acts 17:11

Learning from setbacks

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. – T. Edison  

Paul refused to lose, he said he “became all things to all men” just so he could win them. Hmm!  

Life – it’s often called the ‘School of Hard Knocks.’ And guess what, we’re all enrolled, free of charge. And the lessons just keep on coming. And it matters not how young or old we may be, how experienced or new, there’s always a chance we will possibly slip up. And though our slip happens only when we don’t learn from our mistakes or we refuse to get up and go on from there. When we take time to learn from them, new doors and opportunities are opened up to us. And the good thing about attending the University of Hard Knocks is God has surrounded us with classmates who’ve potentially tried a few things we’re thinking about. Why not swap some stories and seek some advice from them. After all, life is an open book test (bible) and God put others in our lives for good reason.  

Until tomorrow…..  

Pastor Botts  

“…But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” – Luke 22:32

Facing the day to day

Any idiot can face a crisis; it’s this day-to-day living that wears you out. – A. Chekhov  

Elijah threw up his hands and said to God “I’ve had enough! Take my life….” God said “let me show you something Elijah…” He was forever a changed man. Hmm!  

Demands at work! Rush hour traffic! Family pressures! Daily stress! It’s enough to drive your blood pressure up, put your temper on edge, and take the joy out of life. We all face such things in life. Yet, notice how some cheerful souls seem to never be fazed, they just seem to roll with the punches and keep on smiling. They have an ability to put a positive spin on every situation or circumstance. They seem able to see the humor in life even when things go way wrong. It seems like life never gets a good hit on them to knock them down or steal their joy. Generally these are the folks who have put their faith and trust in God and don’t take themselves too seriously. They’ve learned that laughter is a great medicine, actually a gift from God; and that faith is the greatest preserver and encourager known to man. So depending on the situation they can face any fiasco, handle any hassle, find sunshine on a rainy day, and still enjoy the blessing of life. May we all be so blessed!  

Until Monday…..  

Pastor Botts  

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance….” – James 1:1

Sometimes you gotta go deeper

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, not the presentation. - Anon  

Barnabas told the disciples and the people that Paul really wasn’t so bad once you got to know him. Hmm!  

We roll our eyes, or turn our nose up, or even get offended at the mere glance of a book or movie title. And though the title may give you a clue about the book or movie, the title alone doesn’t tell the whole story – that comes with the reading, getting into it. And so often with the people in our lives we do the same thing, a mere glance and a galvanized opinion is formed. So we never take time to build a relationship with them, or if we do; we do so through our galvanized lenses, always looking for the facts and circumstances to support it, and often missing the gems and traits that make them unique and lovable by God. A good book always has discovery and intrigue for the reader, drawing them in with twists and plots that often surprise. People are essentially no different. The key to making any relationship successful and prosperous is to find out why the person is so loved by God, after all, they’re possibly doing the same with us.  

Until tomorrow…..  

Pastor Botts  

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged…..” – Matthew 7:1

Forgiveness Insurance

The insurance policy may cover you falling off the roof, but you better check to see if it covers you hitting the ground. – Anon  

Stoned, beaten with rods, shipwrecked, snake-bitten, and imprisoned; still Paul knew God was with him every step of the way. Wow!  

If you’ve ever had a malfunctioning product and had to deal with the manufacturer regarding the warranty or guarantee, you probably know by now that generally the part that breaks is usually not covered. It’s always something in the ‘fine print.’ Manufacturers are in business to make money and go all out to avoid costly payouts and/or litigation, hence the very lengthy product disclosure and warranty document. But our Maker, stands by His promise, and is willing to fix/repair any part that breaks or becomes defective (forgiveness of sin). He knows we have weaknesses and shortcomings and won’t pass every trial the first or second time. And not only is He willing to ‘fix’ and forgive, He is completely willing and wants to fully redeem us at the appointed time to be with Him throughout all eternity. And how do we know His promises are true? It’s all in the fine print: “I Love You!”  

Until tomorrow…..  

Pastor Botts  

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” – John 17:24

We're going on a journey, but where?

If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction. – D. Bonhoeffer  

Abraham left his homeland and his people looking for a new home. God finally showed it to him. Hmm!  

If you could go anywhere, where would you like to go? Not in terms of vacation or sightseeing, but in terms of your life. See, the truth of the matter is we are actually on that journey right now whether we realize it or not. We are all traveling inevitably toward the ends of our lives. The journey started from the day we were born and continues day by day. Life is a lot of ‘doing’ but the question confronting us is have we figured it out yet and selected a destination, and began steering our course; or are we still allowing ourselves to be pushed along with the tide or crowd, letting others determine where we’ll end up. The choice is entirely up to us, but we must know the end always comes much, much sooner than we expect.  

Until tomorrow…..  

Pastor Botts  

“When I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 2:11

The Bigger Picture

When two elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers! – African Proverb  

Paul pleaded with both Euodia and Syntyche to get along, otherwise the CHURCH loses. That’s sound advice. AMEN!  

As brother’s and sisters in Christ our main goal should be to ‘endeavor to keep the unity of the body through the bonds of peace.’ When we spar and spat with each other on non-essentials to the Christian faith, many outsiders take their cue and turn away, and outreach is hampered. Jesus said where 2 or 3 gather in His name He is present. The key is to be united in spirit. Remember, we’re Christian only, but not the only Christians!

Until tomorrow…..  

Pastor Botts  

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me.” – John 17:20-23

The Intangibles

Not everything than can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. – A. Einstein.  

Peter was the most widely known of the apostles saving 3,000 with one sermon, but it was his brother Andrew that brought him to the Lord. Hmm!  

Degrees, awards, titles, plaques, notoriety, etc. – these are all things that help draw attention to us and show others our worth and value. And while nice to have they are still a far cry from the humanity others and God would have of us. The things that really matter in life don’t hang from walls or go on business cards but come from the heart. Things like trust, loyalty, discipline, benevolence, respect; just to name a few; are incalculable in a relationship. The lives we will touch for God will not be because we have great resources behind us but because we have divine resources within us. No one knows how far a touch from God will go.

Until Monday…..  

Pastor Botts  

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” – Philippians 2:2

P.S. - Don't forget our Sunday School Devotional and Birthday Recognition time this Sunday at 9AM in Parmes Hall.