Tempering Your Speech

When words are 'heated' they lose their sweetness! - Anon

When they brought the woman caught in adultery to Jesus, he thought long and hard before he spoke. Hmm!

Coffee! Cocoa! Chili! Some things are good served piping hot. It adds to their overall presentation and enjoyment. We couldn't imagine receiving it any other way. But when it comes to conversation our words are not one of them. The bible tells us 'practice self-control', 'be slow to speak, slow to get angry', and 'in your anger do not sin'! Why, because in our anger not only do our tempers rise (think temperature) but our desire to inflict hurt, harm, and pain on others also increases. It's a mixture of self-presentation combined with pride, and everyone knows that's not a recipe to help build community. It's true, there are times we need to 'say what we need to say', but it should always be thought through and said constructively and in love. Sometimes silence sends an even greater message.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." - Colossians 4:6

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

Walk With Him

If a man can have salvation and not know it, he can lose it and not miss it. – A. Rogers

Samson slept hard and not only lost his hair, but lost his strength as well. The LORD had “departed” from him.

It's a truth that 'no one wants to be taken for granted.' People like to feel or believe they can offer something to the relationship - even God. But like Samson, many of us often walk day after day believing our relationship with God is all right, never really taking time to stop and commune with Him. But if we find ourselves committing the same sins over and over and constantly asking forgiveness, it’s a sure sign the LORD has departed from us; for His presence would give us true spiritual power to overcome the enemy or situation, whatever it may be. God is willing to walk with us to get us there, the question is: are we willing to walk with Him? His ways are exacting!

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth, meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” – Joshua 1:8

And In the Number One Spot...

When we give God second place, we give God no place at all. – Anon

Jesus twice drove the money changers and sellers from the temple area. Seems there was no room for God in his own house. Hmm!

From the time we’re able to understand we’re taught “everybody loves a winner,” that unless you came out on top you’re a loser. And we feed into that worldview. But it is only in God’s economy that we can win by losing. “He who loses his life for my sake will find it” is what His word says. Anytime we place anything or anyone before God – we lose. True there are a great deal of noble causes out there – and the enemy knows this – but our worship and service to God must come first. As circumstances arise this day remember to be economical.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” – Colossians 1:18

Stick With It

Big shots are only little shots who kept on shooting. – C. Morley

Peter started out as a lowly fisherman, a doubtful fisher of men, and a flameout under pressure. But he also preached 3,000 into the kingdom. Hallelujah!

Most of us have people we admire and sometimes hold in awe for what they were able to accomplish or presently do. We love the way they pray, their knowledge of the bible, their dedication to God’s church, the way they take care of business, their families, their people, etc. The truth is they were not always that way, but they stuck to it until they got better and better. God has made us in the same way and expects us to stick with it as well. True, there was only 1 Paul, 1 David, 1 MLK, Jr., but with God the sky is the limit. All he asks is our obedience.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day…So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.” – II Corinthians 4:16, 18

Enjoy Every Second

For every moment you are angry you lose 60 seconds of happiness. - Richard Murray

Cain lost his temper for a moment but regretted it for a lifetime. OUCH!

It's common knowledge. No one likes being around an angry person, it just seems to suck up all the energy or opportunity in the room. To have to 'walk on eggshells' all the time is no way to live, so we try to avoid it. But how do you do it when you are the 'elephant' in the room. Some of us refuse to let happiness into our lives, holding on to anger/rage from years and years ago. And when God tries to break through, we even refuse to acknowledge the greatness of His works (think Jonah). Life is short and can change in the blink of an eye. So now is the time to let go of that anger and forgive, for we never know if and when we may not have the opportunity again. We can't add any time to our lives, but we can make sure we enjoy every second of it. It's our choice!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"....human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.." - James 1:20

The Important Things

Don't lose something important fighting for something that isn't! - Y. Chou

It wasn't until he lost every material blessing he had, that the Prodigal Son realized what was most important. Hmm!

"If I were to do it all over again I......" How many times have we all uttered that expression in our lifetime? It usually comes when we arrive at a point in life where the reality of our situation or circumstance is not exactly what our expectations were. We thought we'd be married by now....have a better job/car/home by now......be in better shape by now, and on and on and on. We realize our actions have not produced the 'dreamed about' results. This is a normal occurrence when God is not our point of reference. The truth is no matter our giftedness, talent, resources, or connections, be they small or great; we were made for God's purposes to bring Him glory. And when all the dust settles anything short of this is a wasted life. So, who's top on your agenda today?

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ." - Philippians 3:7

When We Lose We Win

There are victories of the soul and spirit. So sometimes, even if you lose, you win. – Elie Wiesel

Peter walked on water, then failed. Peter claimed he would die for Jesus, then denied him. But after each time he came back stronger. Hmm!

Playing ball as a kid against my dad I rarely won the game. But my father was helpful in showing me how to get better and the time we spent together was precious. God works along the same lines. There will be some times when we fail. There will be other times when we just don’t understand or get what God is trying to do ‘through’ us to get ‘to us.’ He has ways we do not fully understand and at times it takes us being beaten or ‘giving in’ before He can teach us what we need to now. So even in times of stern discipline or heartache we are the winners because He is working it out for our good. Don’t bemoan today’s lessons; just know He’s at His work in you.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6

Check Your Life Compass

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

Please join us tomorrow morning at 9:30am for our monthly Prayer Breakfast meeting in Parmes Hall.

Realize Your Potential

You lose with potential. You win with performance! - Bill Parcells

When Peter was miraculously set free from prison, it wasn't because they had a great big church that knew about prayer, it was because the church prayed. WOW!

It should not surprise anyone that all of us have great potential. And we should know this, for we serve an omnipotent God. But untapped and unused it does us no good. Problems and circumstances seem to often overwhelm us because we never realize or utilize the potential within to overcome them. It's good to know God, but until we truly begin to trust Him and live by the faith we profess, we'll never overcome and be victorious. God wants us all to shine today.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' His master replied 'Well done, good and faithful servant!' Come and share your master's happiness." - Matthew 25:20-21

Turning Down the Heat

When words are 'heated' they lose their sweetness! - Anon

When they brought the woman caught in adultery to Jesus, he thought long and hard before he spoke. Hmm!

Coffee! Cocoa! Chili! Some things are good served piping hot. It adds to their overall presentation and enjoyment. We couldn't imagine receiving it any other way. But when it comes to conversation our words are not one of them. The bible tells us 'practice self-control', 'be slow to speak, slow to get angry', and 'in your anger do not sin'! Why, because in our anger not only do our tempers rise (think temperature) but our desire to inflict hurt, harm, and pain on others also increases. It's a mixture of self-presentation combined with pride, and everyone knows that not a recipe to help build community. It's true, there are times we need to 'say what we need to say', but it should always be thought through and said constructively and in love. Sometimes silence sends an even greater message.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." - Colossians 4:6

Fighting for God Time

Where there is no battle there is no victory. The greater the battle the greater the victory. - J. Morse

Paul in writing to the Philippians said, if anything in his life didn't bring him towards Christ he counted it as lost. Wow!

We know God prunes us from time to time, taking away that which is unproductive and sapping in our spiritual life that we may be more fruitful. But here's a question, do we ever prune ourselves? Do we ever take time  to review our situation/circumstances to see where we're giving or expending energy to projects, people, entertainments, etc., that really isn't giving new life back to us? As an example, if I'm constantly spending to repair my car, maybe it's time to get another one. Or, if I'm constantly rescuing a friend or family member maybe it's time to let them go 'in love.' If I'm constantly glued to the TV or other recreation at the time of study, worship, or other life-giving fellowships, maybe I need to cut away from it  and allow God space to work. It's not so much the question of what do you have to lose, but more so what you might gain. And more time with God is always a good investment.

Until tomorrow....

Pastor Botts

"A man ought to examine himself...." - I Corinthians 11:28

Getting in Forgiveness Shape

The quickest surefire way to lose excess weight is to stop carrying a grudge. – B. Myers

David said when he 'confessed his sin' to the Lord a great weight had been lifted off of him. Whew!

Most if not all of us always want to look our best. We work out when we can, try to eat healthy when we can, and try to keep ourselves looking as fit as possible. It’s true the bible does say “bodily exercise” is of some value. But we often neglect our ‘inner man” or heart and force it to carry around a lot of unnecessary weight, and that in turn has a heavy toll on our physical well being. I think this is why Jesus gave Peter the great discourse on forgiveness, it was for his own health and eternal benefit. I pray all of our hearts will become a bit leaner and fit today.

Until Monday……..

Pastor Botts

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy seven times.’” – Matthew 18:21-22

P.S. - We could use 2-3 volunteers on Friday morning (9/11) to help prepare bags for the Food Distribution program. If you'd like to participate please let me know. Thanks!

Wait for The Promise Keeper

He who has lost confidence can lose nothing more. – Boiste

In spite of all his physical suffering and his friends accusations of sin in his life, Job still wanted an audience with God. Hmm!

Life itself is our greatest blessing, but often we see it as only hardship, suffering, toil, and lack. Sure, we’ve been sick or down on our ‘luck’, but we only know these things in comparison to the many times we’ve been well and on top of our game – all blessings from God. Discouragement may come, but from what we know of God and have tasted of Him, it should never rob us of our confidence that God’s promise to care for us is true. So just as sure as God is on His throne, and He is; and just as sure as Christ is risen and alive, and He is; we hold fast to the promises of God – for we are the sheep of His pasture.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“….Blessed are all who wait for Him!” – Isaiah 30:18

Don't Lose It

If a man can have salvation and not know it, he can lose it and not miss it. – A. Rogers

Samson slept hard and not only lost his hair, but lost his strength as well. The LORD had “departed” from him.

It's a truth that 'no one wants to be taken for granted.' People like to feel or believe they can offer something to the relationship - even God. But like Samson, many of us often walk day after day believing our relationship with God is all right, never really taking time to stop and commune with Him. But if we find ourselves committing the same sins over and over and constantly asking forgiveness, it’s a sure sign the LORD has departed from us; for His presence would give us true spiritual power to overcome the enemy or situation, whatever it may be. God is willing to walk with us to get us there, the question is: are we willing to walk with Him? His ways are exacting!

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth, meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” – Joshua 1:8

Lose to Win

If you can’t accept losing, you can’t win. – Vince Lombardi

In the prayer war of the Pharisee and the publican, the publican won out because he was willing to lose himself to God’s mercy. Hmm!

We’re often taught only the strong survive, nobody likes a loser, etc. But losing has its place in life as a teacher of wisdom. In sports, if a team never loses they would never notice their weaknesses and work on them. The same is true of life. If we never suffered setbacks, or pain, or suffering, we would never really fully appreciate their absences; and strive to keep away from them. Losing also has its place in our salvation, for unless we are willing to ‘lose all’ for the sake of Christ, we cannot enter into his kingdom. So at times, the best way to win is to lose.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” – Matthew 16:25

Potential Utilized

You lose with potential. You win with performance! - Bill Parcells

When Peter was miraculously set free from prison, it wasn't because they had a great big church that knew about prayer, it was because the church prayed. WOW!

It should not surprise anyone that all of us have great potential. And we should know this, for we serve an onmipotent God. But untapped and unused it does us no good. Problems and circumstances seem to often overwhelm us because we never realize or utilize the potential within to overcome them. It's good to know God, but until we truly begin to trust Him and live by the faith we profess, we'll never overcome and be victorious. God wants us all to shine today.

Until tomorrow.....

Pastor Botts

"The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' His master replied 'Well done, good and faithful servant!' Come and share your master's happiness." - Matthew 25:20-21

God: Second Place to NONE

When we give God second place, we give God no place at all. – Anon

Jesus twice drove the money changers and sellers from the temple area. Seems there was no room for God in his own house. Hmm!

From the time we’re able to understand we’re taught “everybody loves a winner,” that unless you came out on top you’re a loser. And we feed into that worldview. But it is only in God’s economy that we can win by losing. “He who loses his life for my sake will find it” is what His word says. Anytime we place anything or anyone before God – we lose. True there are a great deal of noble causes out there – and the enemy knows this – but our worship and service to God must come first. As circumstances arise this day remember to be economical.

Until Monday……..

Pastor Botts

“And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” – Colossians 1:18

P.S. - Don't forget our class on Reconciliation begins Sunday at 9:15am. Hope you can attend!

Not Always An L

There are victories of the soul and spirit. So sometimes, even if you lose, you win. – Elie Wiesel

Peter walked on water, then failed. Peter claimed he would die for Jesus, then denied him. But after each time he came back stronger. Hmm!

Playing ball as a kid against my dad I rarely won the game. But my father was helpful in showing me how to get better and the time we spent together was precious. God works along the same lines. There will be some times when we fail. There will be other times when we just don’t understand or get what God is trying to do ‘through’ us to get ‘to us.’ He has ways we do not fully understand and at times it takes us being beaten or ‘giving in’ before He can teach us what we need to now. So even in times of stern discipline or heartache we are the winners because He is working it out for our good. Don’t bemoan today’s lessons; just know He’s at His work in you.

Until Monday……

Pastor Botts

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6

P.S. - Don't forget this Sunday's Panel Discussion at 9AM in Parmes Hall.

Flex not Compromise

People, like nails; lose their effectiveness when they begin to bend. – W. Landor

Gideon brought peace from war to Israel for forty years, and a snare to his family because of his “golden ephod.” Hmm!

True, it’s a fine line to walk between being flexible and compromising our faith, but it’s one we must walk nonetheless. The true test of the matter is will the action you’re considering allow you to maintain your integrity and connection with God. We so often want to please everyone, but that is an impossibility. If God is God, and His truth is absolute, our obedience is straightforward. The world is trying to push compromise as flexibility, but Jesus said “either you’re for me or against me.” May we all stand tall today.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” – John 8:31-32