Don't Let It Go to Your Head

Learn to humble yourself, after all; before God spoke you were nothing but dust of the earth. – T. Kempis

Simon the sorcerer thought he was a great man until he met the men of God, then he realized he was a sinner in need of grace. Hmm!

We see them all the time – stars, politicians, athletes, etc. – demanding special treatment or recognition because of who they are. It’s a battle we all fight at times – pride, ego, boastfulness. We want to be recognized and seen for all we have done or accomplished, we want others to know of our greatness, the sweat and toil we put in to ‘make ourselves into something.’ But truth be known, no matter how great or renown we become it is all by the grace of God, a gift of the Master for His glory. Public accolades and recognition are great but when we covet them, live for them, and begin to demand they be given we’re treading on dangerous ground. Ours is not to live for praise and adulation but for service.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

“Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.” – James 4:10

Helping to Build

You can stand tall without standing on someone, and you can be a victor without having victims. – H. Woods

Jesus said “there is none greater in heaven than John the Baptist,” and all he did was preach and baptize. Hmm!

One of the worldly perspectives we digest early on in life is that there is always a winner and a loser, that someone has to come out on top; and at all costs we’re to make sure that someone is us. And in truth we spend an inordinate amount of time trying to ‘scratch and claw’ our way up the ladder of success, for success requires the type of thinking and action where one must fight for all they get. In the search for significance, however; one seeks how they may best benefit society and those around them. Their way of thinking is not self-fulfillment but the enrichment of others, which is wholly in line with God’s desires, for we never stand taller than when we reach down to help someone else up.

Until Monday….

Pastor Botts

“Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself….” – Romans 15:2-3

Humble or be Humbled

Learn to humble yourself, after all; before God spoke you were nothing but dust of the earth. – T. Kempis

Simon the sorcerer thought he was a great man until he met the men of God, then he realized he was a sinner in need of grace. Hmm!

We see them all the time – stars, politicians, athletes, etc. – demanding special treatment or recognition because of who they are. It’s a battle we all fight at times – pride, ego, boastfulness. We want to be recognized and seen for all we have done or accomplished, we want others to know of our greatness, the sweat and toil we put in to ‘make ourselves into something.’ But truth be known, no matter how great or renown we become it is all by the grace of God, a gift of the Master for His glory. Public accolades and recognition are great but when we covet them, live for them, and begin to demand they be given we’re treading on dangerous ground. Ours is not to live for praise and adulation but for service.

Until tomorrow.......

Pastor Botts

“Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.” – James 4:10

Blame or Build

The man who can’t dance thinks the band is no good. – Anon

Because he was not appointed a priest for his people, Korah led a rebellion against Moses and the others. God settled it – OUCH!

One fact of life is we always want to be right, and when we’re not we look for sources outside ourselves to blame. A carpenter blames the tools or materials, a doctor blames the nurse or patient, a team member blames a team mate or the coach, etc.! The bottom line is we also had a role to play in it. The truth of the matter is we are not perfect nor can we do everything. But God has gifted us with certain talents that when used for His glory will leave all those we encounter edified and much richer. Our goal in life is to lift up, not tear down.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“……try to excel in gifts that build up the church.” – I Corinthians 14:12