Are You On the Right Road?

The Christian is not one who has gone all the way with Christ. None of us has. The Christian is the one who has found the right road. – C.L. Allen

Paul told the people of Philippi he had not yet obtained “the Prize” but he was definitely on the right road and nothing or no one was going to deter him. Amen!

Frustration. It’s something we all face, sometimes more often than we’d like. And like it or not when faced with it enough our human nature often wants to change directions, paths, or programs because we begin to think this one may not be the right one to connect us with our goal. But if our goal is Christ and His righteousness then frustration, opposition, despair, and many other roadblocks or offramps will appear on the horizon. That’s why we are called to live life through the Spirit, He knows the path or road God has laid out for us. He will keep the miscues, offramps, and wrong turns to a minimum, redirect us when we do get off course, and keep our temperament in check. If you’re traveling unfamiliar territory right now give the steering wheel over to Him.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’” – Luke 9:62

Boldly Go...

If we lack the courage to start, we are finished already. – Richard Murray

From the moment He came to earth in a manger, Jesus knew a ‘cross’ loomed large in His future. He set His face to go that way. Hmm!

It’s a simple truth but vastly misunderstood: “to get results you have to actually be doing something,” you can’t just sit there. God never said life would always be pleasant and pain free, but He did promise to walk with us every step of the way and make it bearable for us. And that’s the key, we have to take or make that first step. It’s the hardest thing in the world to do at times; particularly when uncertainty, doubt, fear, or apprehension cloud our thinking. Yes it’s tough to live with the weight of cancer, foreclosure, divorce, etc.; as these are sometimes the issues in our life, but they should not stop us in our walk of faith. God is a rewarder of those who have courage to live by faith, trusting Him to bring about the end results. The good thing we know is in the end it will be for our good and His glory.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“…No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:62

God Gives the Increase

I looked at my hands and they looked new, I looked at my feet and they did too! - Song refrain

I'm sure Jesus' mother noticed something different about him every day. Hmm!

Well, look at you! Here you are all grown up. The physical changes are amazing. From a babe in a crib to a full grown, walking, talking, feeding yourself adult. Praise God! Yes, we really should praise God. This is one of the best illustrations of God doing something new every day in our lives. From our birth to now He's has been at work in our bodies bringing about the 'natural progressions' of our growth. And if God can do this day by day with our physical growth just imagine what He could do with our spiritual, emotional, financial, and relational growth if we trust Him with it. The blessings and benefits we desire and expect in these areas may not happen overnight (neither did we) but growth will occur for sure, for that's God's will, He gives the increase! Are you ready for Him to do something new in your life?

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" - Isaiah 43:18-19

P.S. - Hope your day is filled with prayer and we'll see you tomorrow morning at 9:30am to 'break' the fast.

The Secret Is...

None of the secrets of success will work unless you do. – Anon

Naaman didn't understand why he had to 'dip' in the muddy Jordan, but he remained a leper until he did. Hmm!

Djokovic! Nadal! Gauff! All highly successful people in the tennis world not because of luck but because of applying themselves to their profession. The same application holds true for us as children of God if we expect to be successful. The secret to prayer is secret prayer. The secret to walking with God is walking with God. The secret to knowing His Word is reading and obeying His word. It works this way every time. There are no magic tricks or formulas; it just requires discipline and action. Good intentions count for nothing; results only come to those who willingly put forth the effort. God will grant us all we need for success today, the rest is up to us!

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God’.” – Luke 9:62

Be A Difference Maker

The world is full of good people......if you can't find one, be one! - Anon

Paul praised Epaphras, saying he 'went out of his way' to find and comfort me. Amen!

I often think back to a weekly quote of my friend Pastor Murray. He would always end his services with a quote "I went outside to find a friend and couldn't find one there, I went outside to be a friend and friends were everywhere!" Whether we know it or not, we could very well be the lifeline someone needs today. That hand of help, word of encouragement, presence for inspiration, or just that smile that says 'you matter'. We never know how far or how deep our deeds of righteousness may go, but one thing is certain. If we don't extend ourselves they will never go anywhere. This world has enough anger and hate in it, why not be a difference maker today.

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." - Ephesians 2:10

P.S. - Hope you can join us Sunday morning at 9:30am for Women's Day!

Sacrificing Now for Later

Your new life is going to cost you your old one. – Anon

Paul willingly counted everything he had accomplished as ‘lost’ for the sake of having Jesus. Wow!

Sacrifice! Now that’s a word where we all seem to understand its meaning but have the greatest problem committing ourselves to it. The ability to delay gratification for something greater, the ability to give oneself up to aid in the greater cause. It’s so hard to do, but yet, it is what Jesus did for us, and willingly. Even with all the hardship that He knew He would endure. He still willingly and lovingly sacrificed Himself for us. And admittedly, no matter where we stand in life right now, up or down, thin or flush, we all still want and believe there is something better. That there is more to ‘life’ than where we are right now. The question is are we willing, like Jesus to sacrifice the now for the later.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"…No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:62

Resource or Lifesource?

When money is in your hand, that’s good, when it’s in your heart, that’s bad. –W. Smith

The rich young ruler came oh so close to salvation and missed it only because he didn’t know what ‘riches’ truly were. Hmm!

Resource or lifesource? Tool or trademark? Oftentimes, for many of us we get the 2 issues confused, particularly when it comes to money. Money and wealth in and of itself, is not a bad thing. God wants, of all people, his children to enjoy His blessings, however when money captures our heart, is our only motivating factor, and we will stop at nothing to have more of it; it replaces the very God who gave it as our 'lord and master.' And God said, “thou shalt not have ANY other gods before ME!” I pray you master it before it masters you.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food, and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” – I Timothy 6:6-10

Not Forgotten. Never Forsaken

It's easier to get older than it is to get wiser. - Anon

Thank goodness David was a man 'after God's own heart' for he sure seemed to forget God's ways at times. Hmm!

It happens to all of us. We see a familiar face approach us, begin a conversation; and for the life of us we can't recall their name. We wreck our minds and come up empty. Or we walk from one room to the next and forget what we were going after. Or in our normal day to day busy living we forget and a special birthday, occasion, or appointment may slip by us. Some days we forget where we put the car keys, other days we forget where we parked the car. It's all part of being HUMAN! The bible is full of forgetful folks. The nation of Israel forgot God had delivered them and turned back to worshipping idols. Peter forgot Jesus' words and denied Him three times that very night. And often we are guilty of forgetting God's goodness in our lives and His promises to us. The good news though is that God NEVER forgets us nor forsakes us. And for that we should say Hallelujah!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne. Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands...." Isaiah 49:15-16

Heavenly Preparation

If you aren’t going to go all the way, why bother going at all. – Joe Namath

The moment Jesus left heaven He knew an agonizing cross would be his final act. He gladly bore it too. WOW!

“Are we there yet?” Most of us are familiar with this question that often occurs on long trips with impatient children. Though annoying when screamed several times at loud decibels, the question itself is just a reminder that we are on a journey that has an endpoint or destination. The same is true of our lives as well, there is an endpoint or destination, and sadly though many talk of ‘going to heaven’ they make very little progress in that direction, their lives just don’t line up with their ‘confession of faith.’ We must know that Heaven is not a place everyone suddenly winds up in, it’s a prepared place for a prepared people. And God has stipulated what our preparation is to be, no more and no less. The situations that arise today will ask us ‘how far are we willing to go?’

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:62

Getting Into Practice

None can be fit for the future life who has not practiced it now. – St. Augustine

Upon reflection, it is interesting to note that 2 of the greatest leaders of God’s people (Moses, David) were shepherds of animals before they became shepherds of men. Hmm!

Although we know not what the Lord is preparing us for in our future years, we must go at it with all our heart today. Trials, persecution, and heartaches may come; it is God’s way of giving us practice before the big game. So no matter what may be going on in our lives right now, whether we're right side up or upside down, just know God has even greater plans ahead for us. So we need not look at where we are today as the end result, we're still in training, and that is a reason for great hope.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good by to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of heaven.’” – Luke 9:61-62

All In

Becoming a Christian means you give your heart to Jesus. Becoming a disciple means you give Him your life too! - Anon

Joseph, Daniel. Just a couple of guys who let God in every area of their life, and He showed off. Hmm!!

To be a swimmer one must be willing to not only get in the water, but go under the water and go deep in the water; there is no other way. You can talk about swimming all you want, but eventually you have to be 'all in' to do it. The same is true of our life in Christ. Many of us are just happy wearing the name 'Christian', just splashing about in the water. But Jesus wants disciples who are willing to go all in, and all in for the long haul. There are many areas in our lives we tend to try and keep Jesus out of (relationships, finances, recreation, etc.) not to mention our manner of conversation, or way of thinking; but like swimming it's all or none. These areas must get wet or 'washed over' if we're to be made disciples. He'll leave the choice up to us, but He does stand before us proclaiming "come on in, the water's fine!"

Until tomorrow.....

Pastor Botts

"....no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." - Luke 9:62

Who do you love?

When money is in your hand, that’s good, when it’s in your heart, that’s bad. –W. Smith

The rich young ruler came oh so close to salvation and missed it only because he didn’t know what ‘riches’ truly were. Hmm!

Resource or lifesource? Tool or trademark? Oftentimes, for many of us we get the 2 issues confused, particularly when it comes to money. Money and wealth in and of itself, is not a bad thing. God wants of all people his children to enjoy His blessings, however when money captures our heart, is our only motivating factor, and we will stop at nothing to have more of it; it replaces the very God who gave it as our 'lord and master.' And God said, “thou shalt not have ANY other gods before ME!” I pray you master it before it masters you.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food, and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” – I Timothy 6:6-10