The Happy State

There is no key to happiness, the door is always open. – Anon

Governor Festus thought all of Paul’s ‘learning’ made him a mad man. Paul was just happy to share the gospel, even while in chains. Hmm!

Blaring car horns, glaring facial scowls, grumpy greetings – it’s enough to make one think this world is full of mad, angry, unfulfilled people – and often its us, we’re the unhappy campers in the mix. Maybe that’s because we have the wrong idea or assumption. We often think happiness is tied to achieving certain stations in life or particular blessings. But in truth happiness is a state of mind or attitude we can willingly choose anytime, no matter what is going on around us or in our immediate lives. God’s Word does actually tell us to ‘rejoice in all situations’ which is an indication of the attitude we should have at all times. Maybe life would be much more bearable and enjoyable if we tried it God’s way.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God…” Ecclesiastes 2:26

Letting God Rule

If there is good in everyone, then there is God in everyone. The key is letting God rule. - Anon

Do you ever really wonder why you were made in God's image? Hmm!

God accepts us as we are - all scarred, sinful, battle-beaten, fearful - but sees us as we were meant to be as made in His image. When the farmer plants that handful of hard, dried, often mis-shaped seeds in the soil, he already sees in his mind a full harvest. Yes, it will take cultivating, pruning, watering, and great patience to get there, but the reward is well worth the labor. This is how God sees us - He has an amazing pair of 'rose colored' glasses - as bearers of His image. We are eternal spiritual beings going through a human cultivation process, bearing rewarding fruit here on earth AND building treasure in heaven. The whole key to successful transition is letting God rule. When you take a look at nature and all His creation you can see He's mighty good at it.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"...And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..." - Romans 8:28

The Work of the Faithful

Things begun in prayer usually end in power. – Anon

The early church prayed for power to speak the truth ‘boldly’ and caused an earthquake. WOW!

When you get right down to the nuts and bolts of what we do and how we do it, we all want and look for things to end well, with pizzazz, fireworks, crescendos, flair, or just plain ol’ great success. That’s just human nature. But the end result is often predicated on the start and follow through that we put into it. This is particularly true in the ways of God. There is nothing we should ever attempt to do for Him without consulting Him first, even when it comes to our daily living. And when He answers, whether big or small request; it’s not hard to see His hand in the process. But we must remember it is not titles, awards, past performance, or special recognition that guarantees such results, it is by prayer. Prayer accomplishes much and it is the ‘work’ of the faithful. The key to an effective prayer life is to value that which we know brings glory and honor to the Father.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” – Colossians 4:2

Patience is the Key

The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it. -  A. Glasow

God worked 13 years with Joseph, 40 years with Moses, 3+ years with Peter before they were ready for ministry. But oh; what a ministry they had. AMEN!

NOW! That seems to be the watchword of today. Everything has to happen now, we must have everything now, we must do everything now. It’s a great tool of the enemy – rush them into decisions, don’t give them time to think it through or plan it out – force them into actions and decisions that will hinder or impact their development and purposes for God. It’s a rare breed that would slow down, put off selfish desires, or immediate gratification. But it’s what God requests of us with a promise that what He has planned for us will be far better and more enjoyable than anything we could have ever imagined. He’s given us example after example in His word, so we know He keeps His end of the bargain. Today would be a good day to start trusting Him more.

Until Monday……

Pastor Botts

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” – Psalm 27:14

Knowledge Blockers

The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance – it is the illusion of knowledge. – D. Boorstin

Paul spent a few years in the desert ‘unlearning’ what he knew to learn the truth about Jesus. Hmm!

Osmosis is the ability of one object to absorb or take in all the elements of another object without harm. This is a scientific process, not an educational method or spiritual growth formula. One of the things that often get in our way of knowing God deeper, is our own belief that we know enough already. We have key scripture passages memorized, bible stories categorized, and gospel songs on demand. These are all good in themselves, but sometimes God just wants us to ask Him a question about His heart or maybe take some time and think about what He’s up to. Just as we built upon our early math skills after we learned basic addition/subtraction, God wants us to build upon those verses, stories, and songs a stronger relationship and understanding of who He is. One thing is for sure, we can never learn all there is about our Great God.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.” – Luke 11:52

The Key to happiness...

There is no key to happiness, the door is always open. – Anon

Governor Festus thought all of Paul’s ‘learning’ made him a mad man. Paul was just happy to share the gospel, even while in chains. Hmm!

Blaring car horns, glaring facial scowls, grumpy greetings – it’s enough to make one think this world is full of mad, angry, unfulfilled people – and often its us, we’re the unhappy campers in the mix. Maybe that’s because we have the wrong idea or assumption. We often think happiness is tied to achieving certain stations in life or particular blessings. But in truth happiness is a state of mind or attitude we can willingly choose anytime, no matter what is going on around us or in our immediate lives. God’s word does actually tell us to ‘rejoice in all situations’ which is an indication of the attitude we should have at all times. Maybe life would be much more bearable and enjoyable if we tried it God’s way.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God…” Ecclesiastes 2:26

P.S. -Don't forget to bring your sermon notes to bible study tonight!

Choose Happy

There is no key to happiness, the door is always open. – Anon

Governor Festus thought all of Paul’s ‘learning’ made him a mad man. Paul was just happy to share the gospel, even while in chains. Hmm!

Blaring car horns, glaring facial scowls, grumpy greetings – it’s enough to make one think this world is full of mad, angry, unfulfilled people – and often its us, we’re the unhappy campers in the mix. Maybe that’s because we have the wrong idea or assumption. We often think happiness is tied to achieving certain stations in life or particular blessings. But in truth happiness is a state of mind or attitude we can willingly choose anytime, no matter what is going on around us or in our immediate lives. God’s word does actually tell us to ‘rejoice in all situations’ which is an indication of the attitude we should have at all times. Maybe life would be much more bearable and enjoyable if we tried it God’s way.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God…” Ecclesiastes 2:26