Loving Everyone

We make our friends and our enemies, but God makes our neighbor. – Anon

The expert lawyer was looking for a loophole as to who his neighbor was. Jesus cleared it up. Hmm!

Choice – what a great gift God gave us. The ability to make our own choices or decisions. We get to choose where to live, what to eat, what to drive, even who gets to be our friend. But the one choice God did not leave to us is who to love. We’re commanded to love everyone, especially our neighbor. And though we’d like it to be the people who live to the right and left of us, God says emphatically our neighbor is anyone we can help regardless of location, color, creed or affiliation. So as the day and weekend unfolds remember God might be bringing ‘new neighbors’ our way.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“….and the second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:31

P.S. Hope you can join us for 'Family Fun and Game Night' tonight at 6:30pm.

What Really Matters Most?

The things which matter most, must never be at the mercy of things which matter least. – Goethe

Jesus had a word for the Pharisees and religious leaders of the day for their love and respect for ‘traditions’ rather than God’s word -Hypocrites!

On average, most of us say we know what’s important. Hmmm! We’ll work 60-80 hours a week to provide for our family because they are important, yet we’re too busy working to spend time with them. We’ll say our marriage is important, yet we willfully spend inordinate amounts of time away from our spouse. We’ll even say our relationship with God is of prime importance, yet we struggle to give Him 5-10 minutes a day. The fact of the matter is no matter what we say, the life we live bears the truth, because you will only do that which matters to you! The question is to determine what matters to you most.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, “Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments’.” – Matthew 22:37-40

Improbable Impossible Love

If you plant hope today in any hopeless heart, if someone's burden becomes lighter because you do your part, if you cause a laugh that chases a tear away, if tonight your name is mentioned when someone kneels to pray, then your day will be well spent. – Anon

The greatest thing Andrew did was go find his brother Peter and tell him about the Messiah. Hmm!

Most people would jump at the chance to do something for notoriety, fame, or fortune. Just look at the continuing onslaught of ‘reality based TV’ shows and the number of contestants just waiting to make it big, do the improbable or the impossible. But God’s improbable or impossible is just for us to be human and humane to one another. God never expects us to do the impossible, but to do just what is ‘natural’ in the course of being a compassionate individual; to help someone a little further on their way, for in doing so it helps us on our way. That’s loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

….This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment greater than these.’” – Mark 12:31