Prayer Answers

A most important part of prayer is a willingness to be part of the answer. – Anon

Naaman really wanted to be healed by God’s man; he just didn’t want to have to do anything to receive it. – Hmm!

Prayer is a marvelous venue, to talk things over with the Creator. To seek His will in our lives. But often, because God is all powerful we give Him marching orders, edicts, or demands in our prayer time with Him, expecting Him to fully carry out our desires without any assistance or concern on our part. Prayer changes things because it changes us – our heart. If we refuse to change or allow God to change us we’re in essence saying we’re perfect as we are, and in reality we know that is not true. God works in us, on us, and through us to perfect us and those around us. If we’re not a part of the solution then we’re part of the problem.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ‘Go gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me….I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.’” – Esther 4:16

The Key to happiness...

There is no key to happiness, the door is always open. – Anon

Governor Festus thought all of Paul’s ‘learning’ made him a mad man. Paul was just happy to share the gospel, even while in chains. Hmm!

Blaring car horns, glaring facial scowls, grumpy greetings – it’s enough to make one think this world is full of mad, angry, unfulfilled people – and often its us, we’re the unhappy campers in the mix. Maybe that’s because we have the wrong idea or assumption. We often think happiness is tied to achieving certain stations in life or particular blessings. But in truth happiness is a state of mind or attitude we can willingly choose anytime, no matter what is going on around us or in our immediate lives. God’s word does actually tell us to ‘rejoice in all situations’ which is an indication of the attitude we should have at all times. Maybe life would be much more bearable and enjoyable if we tried it God’s way.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God…” Ecclesiastes 2:26

P.S. -Don't forget to bring your sermon notes to bible study tonight!

Seeing the Good

It’s just as easy to look for the good things in life as the bad. - Sparks

In all that Joseph went through (abandonment, prison, etc.) his attitude seems to say he never had a bad day. Hmm!

The alarm doesn’t go off and you wake up late. The sun is shining. You spill coffee on your clothes on the way to work. You have a job. The boss doesn’t like your report. You still have a job. You work through lunch to fix the report. You actually have food to eat. It can go on and on like this in work, life, relationships, you name it. The issue is we are so bent on seeing all the ‘wrongs’  or ‘bad things’ that occur to us that we seldom see or think about all the good that happens. We’re not hard-wired that way – for God wants us to see His beauty and splendor – but somewhere along the road of life we seem to have picked up blinders to all that is good and can only focus on what isn’t, and we gladly tell others about it. God never said life would be perfect, but that life would help perfect us, if we see it properly for what it is, a training ground for our character – which is the only thing we can take into eternity. So today, why not try to see all the good God brings your way and praise Him for it – for you need remember, you are a ‘piece of work’!

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“…I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be on my lips…..” – Psalm 34:1

P.S. - Please remember to bring your sermon outline notes to bible study tomorrow evening.

You can't run from God

Running towards what we don’t understand, and away from Him who wants to give understanding; keeps us from truly knowing who we are. – Anon

Adam and Eve ran and hid from God in the Garden and it seems as if man hasn’t stopped since. Hmm!

Believe it or not but ‘The Fall’ is still happening…. Though God has called us into relationship we are still in flight. Just think about it. We withhold information, we mask our true feelings, we twist facts, and we love to hide. Actions such as these are not demonstrations of openness or transparency but darkness. In our selfish flight to be free we only entangle ourselves more deeply. God is still in the business of giving enlightenment, discernment, wisdom, understanding, and purpose to life, and He’s willing to do it today. The great challenge for all of us is to stop running long enough to discover the truth about ourselves and God’s love for us.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“For in Him we live and move and have our being….we are His offspring.” – Acts 17:28

Love Honor Respect

The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. – S. Johnson

David set a cripple named Mephibosheth at his table. The Good Samaritan bandaged up, nursed, and paid for the care of his enemy. Ulterior motives? Yes – LOVE. Hmm!

Regrettably, in this work-a-day, do all you can to get ahead world, we tend to focus our efforts only on those who can be of benefit to us somehow. Most of our actions are calculated on a risk/return basis. The homeless, the parking lot attendant, the janitor, tend to become transparent or get the short shrift of our goodness. But if God showers His love on us unconditionally our goal should be to do the same with all men. To be like Jesus we must be willing to give proper respect to everyone we meet. God is expecting us to make an impact on the world TODAY for Him.

Until Monday…….

Pastor Botts

“If you love those who love you; what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners; expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting anything back. Then your reward will be great; and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” – Luke 6:32-36

Attitude Adjustment

The remarkable thing about us is, we have a choice each day regarding the attitude we will embrace. – Charles Swindoll

Though in constant pain and suffering, Job continued to have a healthy attitude toward God his maker! His restoration soon came. AMEN!

Life comes in full doses each and every day, whether we are well and on top of our game or sick and lowly. God created us to live life to the fullest for him, and nothing plays a more important role than our attitude. Life, drama, circumstances, and accidents will happen but the intensity, longevity, and impact of the situation will be based on our response as dictated by our attitude. The key is that those who find Jesus early in the morning are way ahead of the game.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.” – Philippians 2:5-7.

White Out

Too many white lies can lead to color blindness. – Anon

Jesus not only called Satan a liar, but the father of lies. I wonder how He really felt about him. Hmm!

White lies - we call them little, we call them insignificant, we call them a fact of life – but in reality when we willingly tell them they are just lies. It’s easy to stretch the truth just a bit so that we don’t look so bad, or have to go the extra mile, or have to be imposed upon, or give someone false hope, but when we knowingly do so and leave others with a false understanding, we’ve lied. And when we begin to make concessions in one area of our life, it usually creeps into other areas as well. That’s just the way sin is. Just as smoke never stays in the ‘smoking section’ sin never stays little or hidden – it grows, and it branches out into all areas of our lives to blur the lines of distinction between right and wrong. In a world that desperately needs the truth spoken and lived out, God is expecting us to lead the way. We must not settle for easy over right.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” – Matthew 5:37

Proper Connection

If you want to have a horizontal reach, you need to have a vertical focus. - Robin H.

Paul had great success in his ministry because he 'counted everything loss for the sake of Christ,' which is all he preached. Hmm!

Some things in life are so simple that we often overlook the obvious. We attend programs, seminars, classes, buy the latest bestsellers, trying to learn the latest insight, methodology, or buzz words on how to be successful for Christ. This is all noble and good, but the obvious is overlooked. When we plant a seed the first thing it does is break through the dirt reaching upward to the sky. Then as it grows it begins to spread its branches and leaves outward. That's the key, we need to look up first, and make sure we're hooked up properly. The point is that anything we attempt to do for Christ and His church must begin with Him. Meaning we need to be connected to Him, filled with His spiritual presence, and submitting to His leading. The work of Christ has always been empowered by His Spirit and always will be. If we're struggling with success for Him maybe we need to make sure the connections are in proper order.

Until tomorrow.....

Pastor Botts

"...I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5  

Reaching Out with Hope

You must get involved to have an impact. No one is impressed with the won-lost record of the referee. – J. Holcomb

Andrew brought one to Jesus who helped feed thousands and one who helped save thousands. You never know what one act can do. Hmm!

Often in our Christian walk we tend to spend vast amounts of time making sure we keep our life encapsulated within the “parameters” of God’s word (thou shalt not’s) that we seldom reach out to others for fear it may cause us to come in contact with those not like us. But the fact of the matter is that is exactly what God wants from us, to reach out to others for the sake of His kingdom. Not others like us, but others unlike us. Our goal is not to impress our fellow Christian brother or sister with our piety, but to reach out to the one no one seems to care about to give them hope. May your light give direction.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“The righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” – Matthew 25:37-40

Advertisment Not Neccessary

It is not necessary to advertise food to hungry people, fuel to cold people, or houses to the homeless. -- J. K. Galbraith

Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy food during the famine, not because their brother Joseph was there, but because that’s where the food was. Hmm!

Fishermen go out to lakes, rivers, or the ocean to fish because they have a love for fishing and that’s where the fish are. Along the same line of thinking, it’s amazing but it seems that before we come to God we often expect Him to advertise for our service, worship, and praise. It’s as if we expect Him to perform miracle after miracle in our lives constantly, for us to readily seek Him and give Him praise. But the thing is He does advertise Himself everyday. With each new dawning, daily provision, deliverance, and opportunity; God is advertising how much he loves and cares for us. The question must be begged: Do we care for Him? We would do well to remember that our actions speak much louder than anything we say.

Until Monday…..

Pastor Botts

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge." - Psalm 19:1-2

Move With Purpose: Transformation

Activity is great, but only when it’s beneficial to the common good. - Anon

I’m not sure of his skills as a physician, but his travels with Paul made Dr. Luke an avid believer and chronicler of the gospel message. WOW!

In sports you live and die by statistics. In baseball a .300+ hitter is a big deal, but in reality all it really means is he gets a hit 3 out of 10 tries. In basketball a 48% shooter from the field is a big deal, but in reality it means he misses 52% of the time. It’s the same with us often in our faith walk. In truth, the attention we give to our spiritual life is often marginal at best. We are concerned with special religious activities, but not to where they impact our own recreations. We are concerned with worship, but not to where it influences our daily activities. We are concerned with receiving blessings, but not to where we honor God’s covenant to receive them. And we’re often concerned with prayer, but not to the point where it calls us personally to service. Small wonder we don’t grow as we should. The true spiritual life is transformative, challenging us in every facet of life to be Christ-like, to redirect our passions toward godly pursuits. God doesn’t expect perfection, but He does expect our best effort every time, and the opportunity to transform us into His likeness.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord….” – Colossians 3:23

The Root of It

Thousands hack at the branches of evil when it only takes one good strike at the root. - Henry David Thoreau

The Gadarene demoniac had often been chained and quartered by the people to no avail, but one moment with Jesus changed his life. Wow!

Anyone who has ever planted a garden or cared for a lawn knows you will get weeds. And the only way to get rid of them is not to cut them (they grow back) or spray them (they still grow back), but to uproot them completely (dig them out of the ground by their roots). The same is true of sin and unrighteousness in our hearts. We can identify and attack the activities in our lives where it is evident, but unless we destroy it in the heart it will manifest itself again in a whole new way. The only way to destroy it at the root is to repent and turn our heart over to God for renewal. If we’re really seeking to change, God can make it happen.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“However, this kind (sin) does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” – Matthew 17:21

Though Times Don't Last

In times like these remember that we’ve always had times like these. – L. J. Harvey

The prophets of God (Jeremiah, Isaiah, Haggai, etc.) would often remind the people of God from whence they came, and WHO they belonged to. It was often reassuring. AMEN!

Rising gas prices! Rising food prices! Rising unemployment rates. Furloughs, etc! I could go on but I think you get the idea. When we stop to think about it, it seems there is a new obstacle or hardship popping up daily. Just as soon as we get one situation under control and in check another one rears its head. If we’re not careful we’re prone to becoming distressed and depressed. That’s why daily time with the Lord and His Word is so crucial. It reminds us of all the ‘tough times’ we’ve already come through by way of grace, and gives us hope that the current crisis is nothing to fear and will soon pass. Tough times never last - “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning,” - is what the scriptures tell us. So no matter wherever you are at this point, remember God won’t leave you there.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” – Psalm 37:25

The Journey of Life

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

Specific Instructions

Our task is not to do the master planning, but the planning of the Master. – Richard Murray

God gave Noah exact measurements on the ark, it worked. Jesus gave two of the disciples exact instructions on preparing for the last supper, it was just as he said. Maybe we should just listen and obey. Hmm!

Getting in the 'right' school. Living in the 'right' neighborhood. Marrying into the 'right' family, etc. It’s truly amazing how many lives are impacted by such events, and the great strides we take and hurdles we leap to make such inroads to the life we dream about. Dreams and aspirations caused by our own man-made thinking and desires, which cause us to cast aside the purposes of God for our own. True, life as it is now may not have panned out the way we planned it, but it may be going just the way the Lord planned it. The great thing is our life is still going, so the sky is still the limit and untold blessings are still possible. When it comes to God’s plan maybe we need to try it His way, on His terms. History has proven Him right every time.

Until tomorrow……..

Pastor Botts

“If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm.” – Psalm 37:23

A Solid Game Plan

A great offense starts with defense. - Anon

Jesus prayed often because that's what usually opened doors for him to minister. WOW!

If you've ever played organized sports or listened to those who coach them you've heard the key to winning is defense. In baseball it's preached 'you can't give the other team extra outs or at-bats (errors, walks). In basketball it's taught get defensive stops. It's easier to run off of rebounds and turnovers than when you're taking the ball out of the net. In football we know it's field position. Pin them deep in their own territory, or get us started in their territory. The parallel here to our faith walk is that you cannot resist the devil without submitting to God, and you cannot submit to God without resisting the devil. We've all have to make a stand one way or the other. And I might add, doing either one halfheartedly will not get the job done, we must be sold out. Praying your game plan is solid today.

Until tomorrow......

Pastor Botts

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you...." - James 4:7-8  

How Am I Doing?

Feedback is the breakfast of champions. – B. Hybels

Jesus once asked his disciples ‘who do you say that I am?’ to make sure they were getting the message he was conveying. Peter knew the answer. AMEN!

Product surveys, town-hall meetings, suggestion boxes, etc. – what do they all have in common – they are ways people solicit feedback to see how they are doing and what they can do better. They go directly to the source – you. Jesus did it often with his Father as an example for us to follow. The best way to ensure we’re carrying out God’s plan and not our own is to check with Him often and take time to listen to what He says. He’s already assured us in His book of the victory.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” – Revelation 3:20

Called out on the waters

A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for. – W. Shedd

David, Israel’s greatest king; loved the battlefield more than the throne room for he was a warrior at heart. Hmm!

Safe – a word that means a lot to us. But often we take it in only one manner, that being safe or away from harm. But it also means ability to withstand certain levels of stress, or ability to provide certain conveniences or needs. To many the Christian life is seen as one cocooned about with other saints at all times (the holy huddle) and never venturing out into uncharted waters where some danger may lurk. But God has promised to go with us through every Jordan (trials) we face. And though we may be tousled a bit, we can weather any storm for He is with us. We were never called to just sit still and watch, but to be prepared to go. So when the storms come or even if they are here now – sail on!

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12

Relocating from Limbo Land

Of all 50 states in the US the worst state to live in is ‘LIMBO.’ – Anon

The two Jesus met on the road to Emmaus didn’t know whether to give up their faith or hold on. Jesus helped them DECIDE!

Many of us are familiar with the maxim: “Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today,” and we often make practical application of it. Yet when it comes to our faith walk we seem to live in limbo land. We’re not sure God will answer our prayers, we’re not sure God forgave us our sin, we’re not sure God will provide, etc. God is faithful and true in all things, but if we’re not sure it means we’ve not totally released it to Him. He tells us to ‘cast our cares’ on Him and He’ll take care of the rest. Ours is to fully trust Him at His word – TODAY! If you’re in limbo land, God says move.

Until Monday…..

Pastor Botts

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” – Philippians 1:21

P.S. - Board meeting tomorrow at 10AM.

Men's Bible Study Sunday at 9:15AM