Anger & Pride

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

Influence: Making the world a better place

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others. – Pericles

Solomon realized all his building and creating were nothing but works of vanity. He said “knowing God is what counted most.” Hmm!

Drive by any cemetery and you will see them. Magnificent headstones, supposed monuments giving testimony to the one who is buried beneath. But the true test of a legacy is what is left behind in the lives of those we touch. The idea for this life God gifts to us is to make the present moment better for those around us and for those coming behind us. We’re not to take out of life but add joy and peace to it. And we need not a wide circle to influence, for just as a pebble creates an ever expanding ripple on a pond, a little influence can indeed go a long way in someone’s life. All we need do is just think where we would be without God.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did….when God spoke well of his offering. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.” – Hebrews 11:4

How's your attitude?

Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right. – H. Ford

Jonathan thought he could overcome a garrison of soldiers, he was right. David thought he could defeat Goliath, he was right. Cain didn’t think he could please God, so he went out and proved himself right. Hmm!

Life happens to all of us, and it doesn’t wait around to see if we’re up to speed or feeling well, or putting our best foot forward, it just comes in waves. But it’s not that life comes at us fast or hard that dictates the circumstances of our lives, but how we respond to it. Attitude and faith are of primary importance to us in our Christian walk, and they go hand in hand. The determinant in every situation that arises will be our attitude, and that is something only we can control. Nothing is impossible, but with self it’s highly improbable. The key is to remember it’s not you but who lives within you.

Until Monday…….

Pastor Botts

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

P.S. - Don't forget we'll gather together on Sunday morning at 9AM for Devotional time on our 40-day journey.