Take a Moment and Breathe

Patience is the companion of wisdom. – Anon

God took all the time he needed, using 6 days to create a perfect world; before he created man. Hmm!

“Haste makes waste.” It’s a familiar refrain we all probably remember from our early school years. There’s great truth to this saying, although most of us only pick up on its tangible properties. Haste does make waste when dealing with spilled milk, excess glue, cut-n-paste papers, etc. But it also makes waste in lives as well. Irrational decisions, non-thought out actions or reactions, giving in to impulsive or emotional urges, can wreak havoc in our lives and those we care about for years to come. God in His Word calls us to “seek His ways” for they are wise and will keep us from a lot of heartache and misfortune. Though life does come at us fast, it does not require that we handle it all at once.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” – Proverbs 19:11

Grace for the Mistakes

In life, try to fix the mistakes – not the blame! – Anon

Back in the original Garden of Eden, Adam blamed Eve; and we know what the end result of that was. Hmm!

It’s a guarantee that in your life today a problem will arise or a mistake will occur. They will not necessarily be yours but they will impact you. It’s called circumstances. Issues never arise for finger-pointing exercise, but for active responses like healing, helping, loving, forgiving, etc. Like Jesus’ response to the woman taken in adultery, God is expecting us to NOT do the ordinary and selfish but the extraordinary and life-giving. The key to it all is to remember that we too fall short sometimes and need a little grace.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:1-2

P.S. - Hope to see you at the Picnic tomorrow 10am -2pm. Rowley Park, Gardena.
AND we could use your help at 8AM Sunday morning getting set-up for our services.

People of Action

Next in importance to having a good aim is to know when to pull the trigger. – David Letterman

In defeating the giant Goliath, David knew there was a time to shout victory for God, and a time to actually do something about it. It only took 1 stone. Amen!

Truthfully, most people have good intentions. They want to be honest, forthright, dedicated to the task and disciplined. They want to be. But wanting to be and actually being or doing are far apart. The only way to get from one to the other is to take action. Too often we miss opportunities to act for God because we tend to overanalyze situations or try to outguess what God has in mind. The simple truth is all God has in mind is that we “love our neighbor as we love ourselves.” And he gave us hands, ears, eyes, feet, and a heart to do it with. It would be a sin to end the day with our “pouches” still fully loaded.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” – Galatians 6:10

A New Way of Living

Nothing in all of humanity had ever “been done that way before” until someone tried it. – Anon

Though God made the seas during creation, no one tried sailing the waters until Noah’s time. Hmm!

Problems…problems…problems. It seems life is filled with them. But God is not so much interested in us solving problems as He is in us being available to Him that He may solve them through us. We’re the hands, feet, heart, eyes, etc. that He works through. And He is as diverse in His ways as the entire color spectrum. Failure is never certain until we stop or give up trying. We’ve all been faced with challenges and obstacles to overcome that seemed insurmountable, but yet by the grace and provision of God here we are today. Why, because we tried doing something and it worked out. The key here is to try, never to give in, but to seek God’s way to see you through. If we’re wrestling with God over something maybe He’s trying to show us a ‘new way’ of doing His will.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” – Isaiah 43:18-19

A Time to Clean Up

There's no refund for time poorly spent. - J.F. Millburn

After talking to God, it didn't take Joshua long to find and correct the problem at Ai. Hmm!

Here we are 3 years removed from COVID's primary outbreak and we're still arguing over where it started. We're 3 years beyond the 'insurrection' and we're still trying to figure out who's responsible (we know). Now today, here you are way beyond cleaning up your life the way you promised yourself some time ago. Hmm! The problem is we often look and look again at the issues and carnage that has happened trying to find a pattern. But rarely do we close the proverbial 'barn door' or 'shut off the valve' that caused the issue in the first place. Before we clean up things, we need to stop the causes. That's where Christ and His transforming power comes into place. There's nothing too hard for Him and He will bring about the changes we need with justice and righteousness as He cleans up our mess. Yeah, the Messiah is who we need.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Jesus replied, 'Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.......So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." - John 8:34,36

Bright Shining Examples of Christ

The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion. - Paulo Coelho

Though wrongly accused and imprisoned, Paul said his 'chains' helped bring people to Christ. Hmm!

Movie critics! Talk-show hosts! Armchair quarterbacks! And on and on it goes. We have a litany of those who offer opinions on everything in life, as they say from 'soup to nuts!' And as is often true, their opinions are rarely based on facts or actual experiences, it's just their way of thinking. But life is not lived by opinion, it's lived in real time actual events. And when we can experience it with those who have 'been there, done that, got a T-shirt' folks, it makes our decisions somewhat easier. God did that for us through Jesus. He was 'tempted/tested' in all things like us but was found without sin. As we live day to day and see the worlds offerings and people looking for answers on how to improve it, let us remember the example of Jesus, where He didn't give us His opinion, He gave us His life. Amen!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Let YOUR light shine before others, that they may see YOUR good deeds, and glorify your FATHER in heaven." - Matthew 5:16

God's Standard

Self delusion is sucking in your stomach when you step on the scales. – P. Sweeney

The Pharisees smugly thought the law of Moses was all they needed when the Living Word (Jesus) was right in front of them. They missed the point. Hmm!

It's so easy to overlook the obvious, when you don't want to make any changes or remain complacent in life. The things we know we need to do we often don't, telling ourselves we're really not that bad off. Openly, many of us would not dare admit that we take opportunity to keep up with the Jones', but secretly we do. Often, we keep tabs on those a little more sinful than us, or even those a little more holier than us, often measuring ourselves and our lives by them. When we do this we’re giving ourselves a false sense of security that everything is alright. We can look elsewhere, we can even convince ourselves the standard measure has changed. But God has given us a standard, His. And it is unchanging. In the end He will be the final judge, so our measure should not be one another, but His Word.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise….For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” – II Corinthians 10:12, 18

Wisdom in Listening

Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you’d have preferred to talk. – Doug Larson

It’s interesting that God gave king Solomon a ‘wise and discerning heart’ rather than a booming, commanding voice. Hmm!

Silence – it seems like the word is dead and gone. We are now a nation of talkers, not communicators, just talkers. We talk back and forth, often only surface issues, nothing deep seated. And we have to offer our opinion, give our input or the latest update; we want to explain ourselves, tell our side of the story, or just shoot the breeze. The idea of sitting alone thinking things through (meditation) or asking God and actually waiting for Him to answer (secret prayer) have all but vanished and have been replaced with talk or other ‘noise’. We’ve been duped into thinking we must be in contact or in touch with someone at all times. God gave us two ears for more than just stereo sound, that we might listen twice as much as we speak. May we all be discerning and wiser today.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"But the Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth be silent before Him!” – Habakkuk 2:20

Feel the Breeze

The winds of God are always blowing, but you must set the sails. – Anon

Though Abraham did not know with certainty where he was going, he knew he was being led there by God. AMEN!

Basic science has taught us that the earth makes one complete rotation on its axis every 24 hours. We readily accept that fact, but if you ever stopped to ponder the math, it means we’re moving at a very rapid pace although we feel nothing. It’s the same way with God. Though His nature is unchanging, He is ever present, ever moving, ever desiring to draw us closer to Him. When we can’t feel His presence or nearness, or when it seems we’re heading into the wind, maybe we need to adjust the set of our sails. I pray you feel His breeze today.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“The wind blows where it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” – John 3:8

Acknowledging God

Satan does not attempt to fill us with hatred of God, but with forgetfulness of God. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Laban didn’t overtly try to keep Jacob from returning to his family, he just tried to keep him occupied tending his flocks. Hmm!

The greatest form of punishment that can be handed out to another human being is not an act of overt physical aggression, but to ignore them and subject them to the slow and painful effect of neglect. Solitary confinement can destroy a person’s sanity and worth, leaving them to feel less than human. In a like manner, Satan doesn’t really try to get us angry with God, he tries to get us to gradually ignore God more and more to the point where He is no longer considered relevant in the issues of our lives. Satan knows that if God is not first in our lives, God is not at all in our lives. As we are blessed with Today the question becomes will God be with us throughout it?

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church…..so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” – Colossians 1:17-18

Our VBS Campaign kicks off tonight at 6pm. Hope to see you on campus this week

Matching the Walk to the Talk

Too many folks have a big Christian vocabulary but little Christian experience. – C. Banning

Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites because their big talk didn’t match their walk. WHOA!

When we were born we spent at least a few years just taking things in, experiencing life’s joys and disappointments, learning basic motor skills and preferences. It’s as if God was giving us time to really experience life before we had anything to say. Truth is, we really should speak from our experiences for in them we have a depth of knowledge and wisdom to draw from. It seems this is lost in our Christian walk. We often walk in the sinful ways of the world, hold fast to a secular worldview, and spend little time with God – but yet we seem to know the lingo, scriptures to cite, and way to appear ‘holy’ to others. We must be careful in thinking this way because it is the common ploy of Satan (he masquerades as an angel of light). It’s good to praise God verbally, but a life well lived is the grandest example.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Where words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” – Proverbs 10:19

Hope you can make it to Prayer Breakfast tomorrow morning at 9:30am.

Going On Your Prayer List

Don’t put people down – unless it’s on your prayer list. – S. Michalski

Jesus got even with those who crucified him by…….PRAYING! Hmmmn…..

Proud. Boastful. Arrogant. Loud. Obnoxious. Unkempt.….you kind of get the hint. We all have people of this sort in our circle or sphere of influence. Sometimes WE are them. So it makes sense then that we should never denigrate or try to humiliate them, but put them down for prayer. If it’s true that “the prayer of a righteous man avails much,” why not give it a try and see what develops.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior.” – I Timothy 2:1-3

Immanuel for Times Like These

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!

COVID! More COVID strains! Rising gas prices! Rising food prices! Rising homelessness rates. More dysfunction in our government! 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 check in, 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 Monday…

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

Temper Temper

Temper is what gets most of us into trouble. Pride is what keeps us there. – Richard Murray

Cain was so upset with how God perceived his offering; he went out and killed his brother Abel. WOW!

There’s no denying that we are emotional beings, God made us that way. But he also made us with the ability to overcome our emotions with sound, rational, thinking and spiritual wisdom. It’s when we refuse to engage in the latter that we find ourselves in more trouble than we often bargained for. It’s not a sin to get angry or upset, but it should never result in sinful behavior. The problem is it is so easy to cross the line, then feel compelled that we must prevail for the sake of ‘principle.’ We must remember our calling is not so much for the sake of principle as it is for righteousness and holy living.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.” – Proverbs 25:28

Capture Those Thoughts

Beware of your thoughts. They can become words at any moment. – W. C. Brumby

Jephthah’s rashly spoken vow to God cost him his only daughter in sacrifice. OUCH!

Alarm clocks, car alarms, emergency sirens, screams, etc. These are all unexpected noises beyond our control that invade our mind and our inner peace. How much more so injurious are words from our mouths that hurt, maim, and tear down others. If it is true we speak from our hearts, we should be very careful what we feed it and we should “capture every thought” and make it subject it to Jesus before we act on it. Circumstances and situations will arise today that may upset our peace or plans, for that is the enemies goal. Ours is to live, love, and speak for Christ.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” – Colossians 4:5-6

Freedom... Isn't Free

Freedom isn’t free, and its cost is eternal vigilance. – Anon

As we celebrate this ‘Independence Day’ let us not forget the costs paid and the paths forged that make it possible. First and foremost is what God did for us through His Son Jesus Christ to free us from sin and make us His children. Second, for this nation and the ‘Founding Fathers’ who risked life and death to build a nation who believed in God and His Word. We must forever be vigilant in adhering to, promoting, and protecting these gifts that cost so much. The battles ahead won’t be so much with guns and napalm, etc. on foreign shores, but with pen and votes here in our own backyard. May we realize now that our freedoms are left to us to defend. Blessings!

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“….You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…” – John 8:32

Radiant People

You are the light of the world, but the switch must be turned on. - A.A. Lewis

When God blessed Solomon with the 'spirit of wisdom' people travelled far and wide just to hear him speak. WOW!

The bible tells us that when it came to looks and appearance Jesus had nothing that would really draw you in. But yet the people thronged to Him, went out of their way to get a glimpse of Him. What did He possess that made this so - RADIANCE! It is true that beauty is only skin deep, but radiance is a completely different matter. Physical beauty is observed with our eyes, but radiance is recognized with our spirit. Just think of how many people you know personally, who the moment you see them or even just hear their voice it lifts your spirits, renews your hope. That's what Jesus possessed. And the great thing is God wants that same radiance to come from us. He did not create us just to be seen from the outside. He created us to be a 'jar of clay' for His radiance to seep through, that people may see, hear, and experience Him and have their spirit lifted. So as you look around yourself today, how's that working out?

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"For God......made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us." - II Corinthians 4:6-7