Investing Wisely

You cannot kill time without injury to eternity. – Henry David Thoreau

Jesus told his disciples they MUST work while it is day, for it would soon come a time when they couldn’t. OUCH!

Alarms, bells, whistles, chimes, etc. We’re surrounded by gadgets that each day remind us of the time. Time is the most precious commodity on planet earth. It is even more valuable than money. We can get more money, but we cannot get more time. Each morning we all awake with the same 24-hour timeframe with which to work. How we spend it will well determine where we go when our time is no more. The key is not to waste it on fruitless endeavors, dead-end roads, harboring resentment and hate, or meaningless living; but rather invest it in lives and projects that will make an eternal difference. Martin Luther King, Jr. said “the time is always right to do what is right.” And that time is now, for none of us is getting younger by the day.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts


“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12

Not Forgetting Yourself

Wherever you go in life you always, always take yourself. – J. Graham

Though he was in a foreign land, Daniel refused to defile himself even with the king’s food. AMEN!

People travel to far-away locales, attend extreme makeover camps, or even suffer through intensive ritualistic regimens thinking such activities will change them. A change of scenery may excite the senses, a makeover may make you look better, and a ritual may make you think you are doing better, but true change of who we are can only take place in the heart. It’s God’s domain, and unless we surrender it completely to Him, much of what we do will be lost at the first sign of distress. Joseph had many ‘distresses’ in his life but because of his heart and trust in God he prospered through every one of them. His God is the same one we serve today.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“'How do you know me?' Nathanel asked. Jesus answered, 'I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.'" - John 1:48

Pursuing God

If we lose God, it is not God who is lost. – Anon

The book of Judges shows the folly of God's people trying to live without Him in their midst. Time and again they came looking for God to save them. Ouch!

It is said "those who forget history are doomed to repeat it." Could that be us at times. Having the history of our ancestors recorded for our posterity, you would think we should know of a certainty which way to go - God's way. Though He won't forsake us, it is possible we can forsake Him. If you are continually being defeated by everything you face, it's possible you have lost God's favor and your heart has departed from Him; for He has assured victory for His children. Maybe now is a good time to check our life compass.

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and will bring you back from captivity...." - Jeremiah 29:13-14

Let His Beauty Shine Through

Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder! – Anon

To those with a pure heart the CROSS is a thing of beauty. AMEN!

Mirrors, Ugh! How we often try to avoid them. They seem to show all our flaws. The pimples, scars, years of aging. The gray hairs, receding hairline, tired eyes. And no matter how much we try to keep our shape, physique, beauty (exercise or otherwise( the mirror has something to point out that we worry about. But thankfully God cares nothing about the mirror image. He looks on the heart, and He looks through the blood of His perfect Son that cleanses us. What He sees is pure beauty, and what He blesses us with each day is to help make that beauty even more inspiring. So friend, let us let that ‘light shine.’

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“God saw all that He had made, and it was VERY good…” – Genesis 1:31

Vexing The Devil

We cannot vex the devil more than by teaching, preaching, singing and talking of Jesus. - Martin Luther

When Satan attacked him, Jesus just let God’s Word do the talking. How simple. Hmm!

Just as certain as us waking this morning, our enemy is already planning ways to pounce on our parade. And he has a distinct advantage because he’s been awake all night plotting against us. And since the Garden scene he’s used the same method all these years, deceit and deception. He’s the master of putting so much into our lives and deceiving us into thinking it’s necessary, that we can’t seem to find time to spend with Jesus; for he knows that’s our only way to defeat him. The bible tells us he has no defense against Jesus. So if the day gets burdensome and heavy laden maybe we need to do a bit more ‘vexing’ than complaining. It’s guaranteed to change the outlook.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” – Ephesians 5:19

Stretched Thin?

A man who chases two rabbits catches neither. – D. Ashwell

King Saul wanted his own fame and that of David. He lost everything including his life. Hmm!

If you’re human chances are you’ve suffered a time or two from ‘opportunity-itis,’ the giving of yourself to too many enterprises and activities. As Christians we often feel compelled to chase a number of activity options for fellowship, ministry, and service. This in itself is not bad, but when we add family and friends and other social gatherings to the mix we become stretched thin and lose the ability to do anything meaningful. Jesus called on his followers to live ‘focused’ lives. Lives that have a distinct purpose that will impact others. Just as a laser is more powerful and effective when narrowly focused, so should we be.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12

Applyling Your Heart

In worship, we would rather our heart be without words, than our words without heart. – L. Broschman

God’s prophet Jeremiah flat out called the priests of the day liars and arrogant men practicing before God – and the people seemed to love it. GOD FORBID!

For the average Christian, Sunday is the day of worship where we go to God’s house and sing, pray, and even say a few “hallelujah’s" or "Amen’s.” But God is not relegated to the church house and worship is not restricted to a once-a-week occurrence, it is a way of life that flows from the heart in all we do. God is looking for more than lip service, He wants life application. Our prayer should be that our worship during the work week will be as “charged and passion-filled” as it was in His house on Sunday.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” – Isaiah 29:13

Is Your Home Where Your Heart Is?

If our destination home is Heaven, then this life is only the trip to get there. - B. Snyder

When God told Abram to "leave his country and go to a place He would show him," Abram had no problem as long as God was leading. Hmm!

"Home is where you 'make it'!" It's an intriguing statement. Does it mean home is where you decide to settle, the plot, place, and address you acquire? Or does it mean home is where you grow and learn to live and make something out of your life? Or maybe it's both. The unfortunate truth though is most of us as Christians have accepted it this way. We've dug in our heels here on earth, planted our homestead, built our house and raise our family as if we'll be here permanently. It's like we spend every available resource on the house, our recreation, family moments or gatherings, and have little or nothing to give back to God. If we're truly just 'pilgrims passing through this land' should we not be trying to store up some heavenly treasures. Though God doesn't want us to live as paupers, He also wants us to remember our lives don't consist of the things we own, but exists in The One who owns us, and wants us to be with Him in glory one day. Let's make sure we're on the right path.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"....For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:21

Purpose Greater Than Our Plans

Maybe God is interrupting your plans to accomplish His purposes. - Anon

God often had to put people on a 'timeout' to show them He had plans for their lives. AMEN!

"I thought I'd be further along than this! I thought I'd have finished this project by now! I thought my life would be more settled by now!" For many of us these and other thoughts along the same line ruminate in our minds. We had such high hopes, great aspirations, and GOOD intentions for ourselves. And here we are at this age, and wondering what happened. How'd we get sidetracked? But, if we were made for 'such a time as this' and 'such a place as this' maybe we're not sidetracked at all, we're just looking at our life from the wrong point of view. God is working through us to fulfill His story and the things that bring us glory are not His major concern.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." - Proverbs 19:21

How To Be Truly Powerful

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power. – Abraham Lincoln

Solomon was considered the wisest king ever and a man of good character, but his son Rehoboam let the power of being king go to his head. OUCH!

It is said that power corrupts and that absolute power corrupts absolutely. And though most of us would say we would never be drunk with power as we see in most tyrants, despots, and dictators, in reality we are that way in some areas of our lives. We have the power to submit to God’s will or not, and more often than not we choose not to submit. Circumstances, resources, timing, happen to us all; and we can try to excuse ourselves from submission or obedience because of them, but it doesn’t get us off the hook. The whole idea and understanding of power can be gleaned from our Heavenly Father. He is omnipotent but yet He is full of love, mercy, grace, compassion and forgiveness. And if God sets the example for us, who are we to try something different?

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“The most important one, answered Jesus, is this…..Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:30-31

What Do YOU mean By God?

What comes into our mind when we think about God reveals the most important thing about us. – A.W. Tozer

Pharaoh, Caesar, the sun, moon, ocean, even the trees. People will worship anything that gets them what they want. Hmm!

All across the world, many people with good intentions earnestly say the name “God” every day. But the question is: What do they mean by “God”? What do YOU mean by “God”? It does make all the difference in the world. For most their idea of God has very little in common with the Living God of the universe, theirs is more a god like themselves, with likes and dislikes similar to theirs, a god of substance based on their personal feelings. Where we get our definition of who “God” is, is very important, for it shapes our morals, values, ethics and beliefs. The ‘Living God’ wanted us to know Him and gave us His Word to read and obey. So the question again is: When YOU say “God” what do you mean? Before we answer it would behoove us to look at the way we live.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” – Psalm 119:11

Prayer Posture

Most people asking for advice are usually looking for an accomplice. – M. LaGrange

The rich young ruler didn’t really want Jesus’ thoughts on eternal life, just his blessing on the way he wanted to obtain it. Hmm!

All of us have family or friends we shy away from in giving advice for we know their intent is to incorporate us into their affairs somehow. This is a noble task on our part, but how often do we turn around and do the same thing to God. Often in our prayers we really are not seeking God’s will, but trying to get God to bless what we’ve already proposed or launched into. This is tantamount to putting God in a box. God will hear and answer the prayers of His people, but He will not be limited in any way to our anticipated responses, nor cover for our overzealous desires and wants. God sees prayer as a time of communion where our hearts conform to His, then the blessings will flow, and since He is holy, He can’t be an accomplice to anyone.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“’Be careful,’ Jesus said to them. ‘Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” – Matthew 16:6

Offerings From the Heart

A picture is worth a 1,000 words! Anon

It wasn't the poor widow's money (2 coins) that astonished Jesus, it was her heart when she gave it. WOW!

They cover refrigerators all over the world. Drawings of 'stick figure families', not quite perfectly shaped hearts, crooked houses with stumpy trees, etc. Drawings by children, and though they are not a museum masterpiece, they are a heartwarming offering of love to a parent. In the same way, God loves our imperfect offerings and delights in them when they are offered from our hearts like those childhood drawings, for it's not so much the finished product that He sees, but the heart, devotion, and intent (love) we put into it. So, what rendering will you present to Him this day?

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." - I Peter 4:8

Hope to see you tonight at 6:30pm for our Good Friday service.

People Over Products

Unfortunately, most blessings in life are not valued till they are gone. – T. Fuller

The Israelites gave Moses much grief along their journey, but when he died they mourned some 30 days for him. WOW!

We prize ‘possessions’ not relationships. We gather ‘things and gadgets’ not people. We seek external media input over good face-to-face conversations. It is wonderful to have some possessions in life, for they help to make it a bit more bearable. But it’s the people in our lives that make it full, and God Himself that makes it complete. These are the 2 greatest blessings one could have, but we seem bent on giving them very low priority. We could survive without the big screen TV, the fancy car/home, the latest model phone, or even without some now expensive grocery items, but without a relationship with God, and without relationships with family and friends life is pretty unbearable. And the deeper the relationship the richer we become. Today is a good day to re-connect with or strengthen an existing relationship or even build a new one. Remember, God’s kingdom will be filled with people, not products.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“….then their eyes were opened and they recognized [Jesus], and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, ‘were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’” – Luke 24:31-32

When Difficult Is the Right Choice

With my whole heart for my whole life - Anon

Though the bible is filled with some great names and life accounts, it is filled with even more whose names never even got an honorable mention. They were just as important and just as SAVED as well. Hmm!

Perseverance! We generally hear about or read of it in reference to those exceptional individuals who overcame a lot of adversity to excel in life (athletes, stars, famous folks, physically disadvantaged, etc.). They speak of the monumental challenges of life they had to overcome (economics, ethnicity, education, physical barriers, etc.) to get to this level. We applaud them and rightly so, but what about the greater number who go about unnoticed. The parents of a special needs child who devote their lives to caring and loving them, or the wife who bravely rears her young children after her husband's untimely death. Or what about the person who continuously works 3 part-time jobs to make ends meet, even after sending out resume #400. I think these are the examples James had in mind in writing James 1:3. The idea of someone 'opting' to remain under hard circumstances rather than run from them, even when there is no promise or hope of a happy ending in this life. Those who consistently choose what's right over what's easy. That's a life of faith - not looking toward 'when will it be over' but looking at what can I do to just 'win the day' for God. Ready to start?

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"....because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance MUST FINISH its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:3-4

The Necessary Heartbreak

If through a broken heart God can bring His purposes to pass in the world, then thank Him for breaking your heart. – Oswald Chambers

God heard Hannah’s painful heart-broken prayers. He answered by giving her a son mighty in the priesthood. AMEN!

Necessity may be the mother of invention, but pain, sweat, and tears are what get the job done. Now admittedly, we all have an aversion to pain of any kind. With so much to do, so many places to go, or people to interact with we seldom have time to be laid up or sidelined with it. But that is the call of an intercessor, to have a deep-hearted pain for others that only God can soothe and heal. Pain is not optional in our Christian walk, it is inevitable; and as much as we try to avoid it, sometimes we need to ask God to break our heart.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” – Psalm 51:16-17

First, Best and Thoughtful

Give not from the top of your purse, but from the bottom of your heart. – Anon

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and teachers of the law often for their traditions of men which adhered to the 'letter' of the law but ignored the 'spiritual intent' of the law. He said they should do both. Hmm!

Often, in terms of what we give to God; whether it be praise, worship, offering, service, etc.; is done without much thought and preparation, but out of a sense of duty or obligation. God wants neither. He is seeking our love for Him, and our respect for His will. Just as we would never really want to be an 'afterthought' in people's dealings, God should not be in ours. If He is truly KING of Kings and LORD of Lords then only our best, as we have prepared ourselves will do. Remember you can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving. As we embark upon today may our God led heart be our guide.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“The Lord says; These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” – Isaiah 29:13

Whatcha Lookin For

You'll never see the sunrise by looking westward. - D. Burraloe

The Jews could not see Jesus as the Promised Messiah because they were looking for a king. Hmm!

It's a given that you always find what you're looking for in the very last place you look. And often what we're looking for is right in front of us, but that's the last place we look, for it just seems too easy. That's true with most of us in our spiritual lives as well. We seem to search for God in some of the strangest places at times. When trials, temptations, tribulation, trouble, heartache, etc., comes upon us we get so bogged down in despair looking at the problem, analyzing it from all sides, trying to figure out the best outcome for ourselves, we often forget to look for The One who said He would never leave or forsake us. God is right there with us; we have no need to run off and try to find Him. The issue is not the interruption, but can we still see God in spite of the interruption. Remember God never moves...

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:13

Viewing the Heart of Man

You can learn a lot just by observation. - Anon

The bible often tells us "Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John." I'm sure the other disciples were pretty close in tow as well. Hmm!

Turn on the news or grab the newspaper and the odds are great that your name won't be mentioned or appear in print. Celebrities get the spotlight for their upcoming events or life issues, politicians for their latest bill, gaffe, or stance on a particularly pressing issue (i.e. - wildfire relief) or some organization highlighted for their latest outreach or sleight. We, as Christians are generally in the minority, behind the scenes, often overlooked. And at times it can get hard to love a world of people like those above when it seems all they care about is themselves. But 'called' to love them we are. And Jesus, our perfect example, shows us how. It is Him we should desire to be like. So our prayers should be filled with requests for patience, understanding, compassion, and conviction to walk like Him. And it should be a comfort to us to know that God neither looks at the news nor reads the newspapers, but that He looks on the heart of everyone and sees the intent of our actions. This is the way heavenly rewards are earned.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." - I Samuel 16:7

Diverting from the Dictatorship of the Daily Drill

The greatest challenge of any day is how to bring about a revolution in the heart for God. – Anon

In OT times the enemy that threatened God’s people most was not other nations but the ‘dictatorship’ of the daily routine! Hmm.

Truthfully sometimes, most of us operate by routine or rote. Each morning, we arise and go pretty much through the same motions. We’ve come to the place where everything in our lives can be almost predicted, and we really don’t expect or seek after anything new or unusual from God. Prayers are said but not really 'prayed', bible reading is done but not really 'digested' and often church attendance is there but without any real 'worship'. Maybe it's time for us to look up to the heavens with “fresh” eyes and an open heart today. God is into new things and always ready to show us something!

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 see perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” – Isaiah 43:18-19