A Leadership Mindset

A leader's most powerful ally is his or her own example. - John Wooden

Paul said he became 'whatever' it took to win one to Christ. Wow!

Magic vs. Bird. Steph vs. Lebron. All champions in their own right, but it seems Magic and Steph have a charisma that infected those they played beside with enthusiasm, excitement, and FUN. Our faith should be somewhat like that, so noticeable that it impacts and infects those we're with a good deal of the time. We should live our life and do our jobs as if Jesus were our immediate supervisor (He is). Who we work for and the type of work doesn't really matter, our attitude is what's important, and it's what God looks upon (heart). Each day we should seek the Holy Spirit and ask Him to help us do the job with pleasure, determination, and confidence - this will not only attract others, but also allow us the opportunity to 'infect' them. Not only is it a great feeling, but it leaves the door open for great things to happen, and that's what leaders do, provide opportunities for greatness to enter. Are you in?

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"...Mordecai the Jew was........preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews." - Esther 10:3

True Supporting Cast Members

God evidently does not intend us all to be rich, or powerful, or great, but He does intend us all to be friends. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Jonathan would not let the kingship nor his father, king Saul, take from him what he cherished most – FRIENDSHIP with David. Hmm!

In any society there are only so many that can be leaders, standouts, or greats if you will. But in reality, they cannot be such without the support of the people, so to be a standout or great is really nothing without friends to support you. One of the key elements God looks for in us down here is our ability to love one another in spite of our different stations, cultures, or preferences, and to prefer one another over ourselves – that’s a picture of true friendship. Remember, it’s easier to be a friend than to find one.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“You are my friends if you do what I command.” – John 15:14

Know Enough to Have Faith

Our intense need to understand will always be a powerful stumbling block in our attempts to reach God…. – Anon

The Athenians who had gods for everything wanted to ‘know more’ about the True God Paul presented before they would believe anything he said. Hmm!

By nature, we are knowledge-seeking people. We want to know how things work, how they came about, what happens when… Knowledge is wonderful, insightful, helpful, but it is just that – knowledge. Knowledge of itself tends to breed conceit and self-worth. Academia is wonderful, but when we have come to the point where it is often left up to the ‘scientist’ or ‘academician’ to determine real truth or what is noteworthy – this all too often casts God aside, which in turn leads to a derelict nation. And the gist of all the knowledge in the world could never explain, or purely define ‘love.’ Love is what it takes to live by faith, hope for a brighter tomorrow, and God alone holds the patent on love. In His word He just asks us try not to fully understand Him but to just ‘trust’ Him. As the day unfolds will you question or trust?

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Without faith, it is impossible to please God…” – Hebrews 11:6

P.S. – Our fast begins at 8am and ends at 5pm, plus starting today you give up 1 electronic entertainment device (i.e. TV, gaming system, phone games, etc.)

Limitations Can Be Heavenly Advantages

Prayer is exhaling the spirit of man and inhaling the spirit of God. - E. Keith

Jesus often prayed aloud to the Father before the working of a miracle. Hmm!

The bible teaches us that God covets the prayers of His people, and that He promised to answer us when we call. His answer may be YES, NO, or wait. Though NO is an answer, generally it is the one we don't want to hear. Why, because often when we solicit God's help we think the thing we're asking His assistance in is somewhat hindering or limiting our effectiveness for Him. Like Paul, we consider it a 'thorn in our flesh,' and want it moved. But God's "NO" answer to Paul's desire was actually a "YES" answer to Paul's faith. God saying "MY Grace is sufficient for you, for MY Power is made perfect...." means don't worry about the handicap, know that I AM with you and I AM working through it for MY glory. What we often view as limitations God turns into a heavenly advantage. So if you're praying and waiting for deliverance, know that His Grace is sufficient, and that maybe He is just waiting on you to transform your 'limitation' into a heavenly advantage.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"....The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." - James 5:16

The Power of Cooperation

A river is powerful only because many drops of water have learned the secret of cooperation. – Richard Murray

In the early Christian church where they had “all things common,” they also had power to ‘shake the earth’ through prayer! Hmm.

It is true, each of us must come to Christ individually and have a personal relationship with Him directly, but it does not negate the fact that He built the church to have power here on earth. When the church (collective body) comes together in prayer, evangelism, outreach, and missions it is a force within a force (God’s Spirit) to be reckoned with. When we try to go it alone or do it outside the church’s purview, we’re going against God’s plan. Remember, there is no such thing as a Lone Ranger Christian.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common.” – Acts 2:42-44

Do Dive Deeper

The bible will always be full of things you CANNOT understand as long as you will not live according to the things you DO understand. – Anon

King Saul couldn’t understand why God would not answer his prayer requests. Samuel had already told him God has taken the kingdom from him because of disobedience. Hmm!

Water pressure has amazing effects on the human body. The deeper under water you go the more ways it affects you: blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, sense of being, etc. The Word of God is the same way. The more we live by it the more it affects and impacts every area of our lives. But the reason we often don’t get the life changing effects and increased faith promised is because we don’t go deep enough nor truly obey what we do know. God’s Word is ‘powerful and effective’ and will work in ways we don’t fully understand, but only if we are obedient to what we do understand. It’s not the knowledge that brings the blessings but the commitment to DO what it says.

Until Monday…..

Pastor Botts

"The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside….” – Psalm 14:2-3

Life Preaching

Words fitly spoken are powerful, but they are nothing compared to a life fitly lived. – Chuck Swindoll

Near the end of his life, Samuel, the priest of God called the people together to ‘present’ his life. They had nothing bad to say. Hmm!

It is true that God commissioned us to “GO” and spread the good news far and wide. And it is true that we are told to “study to show ourselves approved” in the word to anyone who asks us. But it is important for us to remember that we preach with our lives - in the way we live with, and around others - more loudly and clearly than anything we can say verbally. God will be providing topics and circumstances today that He hopes we clearly preach to others.

Until tomorrow…...

Pastor Botts

“Preach the word, be prepared in season and out of season, correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.” I Timothy 4:2

Being Friends

God evidently does not intend us all to be rich, or powerful, or great, but He does intend us all to be friends. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Jonathan would not let the kingship nor his father, king Saul, take from him what he cherished most – FRIENDSHIP with David. Hmm!

In any society there are only so many that can be leaders, standouts, or greats if you will. But in reality they cannot be such without the support of the people, so to be a standout or great is really nothing without friends to support you. One of the key elements God looks for in us down here is our ability to love one another in spite of our different stations, cultures, or preferences, and to prefer one another over ourselves – that’s a picture of true friendship. Remember, it’s easier to be a friend than to find one.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“You are my friends if you do what I command.” – John 15:14

Faith to Heal the Nations

Our intense need to understand will always be a powerful stumbling block in our attempts to reach God…. –  Anon

The Athenians who had gods for everything wanted to ‘know more’ about the True God Paul presented before they would believe anything he said. Hmm!

By nature we are a knowledge seeking people. We want to know how things work, how they came about, what happens when… Knowledge is wonderful, insightful, helpful, but it is just that – knowledge. Knowledge of itself tends to breed conceit and self-worth. Academia is wonderful, but when we have come to the point where it is often left up to the ‘scientist’  or ‘academician’ to determine real truth or what is noteworthy – this all too often casts God aside, which in turn leads to a derelict nation. And the gist of all the knowledge in the world could never explain, or purely define ‘love.’ Love is what it takes to live by faith, hope for a brighter tomorrow, and God alone holds the patent on love. In His word He just asks us try not to fully understand Him but to just ‘trust’ Him. As the day unfolds will you question or trust?

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“Without faith, it is impossible to please God…” – Hebrews 11:6

That Transforming Power

Scripture should more than inform us, it should transform us. – Anon

When King Hezekiah received the threatening letter from Sennacherib, he was moved to prayer. God was moved too! AMEN!

“We like it, we love it, we want some more of it.” That seems to be the cry of most of us as “Christians” today, “I need to know more bible, or more about the bible.” But scripture should be much more than information to us, it is food to nourish our soul and spirit, to power the life we live. The Word of God is “alive and powerful”, and able to change or transform us when given license through the power of the Holy Spirit. As we all face the circumstances and situations of life, we need to remember it’s not how much scripture we know, but will it show in our life.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:2

Understanding Prayer

Prayer is exhaling the spirit of man and inhaling the spirit of God. - E. Keith

Jesus often prayed aloud to the Father before the working of a miracle. Hmm!

The bible teaches us that God covets the prayers of His people, and that He promised to answer us when we call. His answer may be YES, NO, or wait. Though NO is an answer, generally it is the one we don't want to hear. Why, because often when we solicit God's help we think the thing we're asking His assistance in is somewhat hindering or limiting our effectiveness for Him. Like Paul, we consider it a 'thorn in our flesh,' and want it moved. But God's "NO" answer to Paul's desire was actually a "YES" answer to Paul's faith. God saying "MY Grace is sufficient for you, for MY Power is made perfect...." means don't worry about the handicap, know that I AM with you and I AM working through it for MY glory. What we often view as limitations God turns into a heavenly advantage. So if you're praying and waiting for deliverance, know that His Grace is sufficient, and that maybe He is just waiting on you to transform your 'limitation' into a heavenly advantage.

Until tomorrow.....

Pastor Botts

"....The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." - James 5:16

Infectious Greatness

A leader's most powerful ally is his or her own example. - John Wooden

Paul said he became 'whatever' it took to win one to Christ. Wow!

Magic vs. Bird. Steph vs. Lebron. All champions in their own right, but it seems Magic and Steph have a charisma that infected those they played beside with enthusiasm, excitement, and FUN. Our faith should be somewhat like that, so noticeable that it impacts and infects those we're with a good deal of the time. We should live our life and do our jobs as if Jesus were our immediate supervisor (He is). Who we work for and the type of work doesn't really matter, our attitude is what's important, and it's what God looks upon (heart). Each day we should seek the Holy Spirit and ask Him to help us do the job with pleasure, determination, and confidence - this will not only attract others, but also allow us the opportunity to 'infect' them. Not only is it a great feeling, but it leaves the door open for great things to happen, and that's what leaders do, provide opportunities for greatness to enter. Are you in?

Until tomorrow......

Pastor Botts

"...Mordecai the Jew was........preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews." - Esther 10:3

Let's Begin Then

The one thing more powerful than the will to win, is the courage to begin. – Anon

Abram left his father’s house, his people, and his land to go to a place he knew not where. But the key fact is he went. AMEN!

As adults most of us know how to walk. We just put one foot in front of the other, and we find we can get almost anywhere. But if we were to think back to our infancy we would realize it took a lot of courage then to do what we do naturally now. The fact is that because we wanted to, we did it. Well, we still have wants. We want the best, we want to win, we want to be successful, we want to be loved. None of these desires are wrong, but we must realize that they are just desires or wants. They are obtainable but only if we go after them. Wanting them to happen doesn’t make it so, we must actually begin the journey to make it happen. The same is true in our walk with God. It takes great courage to believe Him unswervingly, follow Him unquestioningly, and serve Him faithfully. It is a lifelong journey but it still begins with the first step everyday. It’s up to us.

Until Monday…….

Pastor Botts

“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” – Philippians 1:20

Coming Together

A river is powerful only because many drops of water have learned the secret of cooperation.  – R. Murray

In the early Christian church where they had “all things common,” they also had power to ‘shake the earth’ through prayer! Hmm.

It is true, each of us must come to Christ individually and have a personal relationship with him directly, but it does not negate the fact that he built the church to have power here on earth. When the church (collective body) comes together in prayer, evangelism, outreach, and missions it is a force within a force (God’s Spirit) to be reckoned with. When we try to go it alone or do it outside the church’s purview, we’re going against God’s plan. Remember, there is no such thing as a Lone Ranger Christian.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common.” – Acts 2:42-44

Understanding Obedience

The bible will always be full of things you cannot understand as long as you will not live according to the things you do understand. – Anon

King Saul couldn’t understand why God would not answer his prayer requests. Samuel had already told him God has taken the kingdom from him because of disobedience. Hmm!

Water pressure has amazing effects on the human body. The deeper under water you go the more ways it affects you: blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, sense of being, etc. The Word of God is the same way. The more we live by it the more it affects and impacts every area of our lives. But the reason we often don’t get the life changing effects and increased faith promised is because we don’t go deep enough nor truly obey what we do know. God’s Word is ‘powerful and effective’ and will work in ways we don’t fully understand, but only if we are obedient to what we do understand. It’s not the knowledge that brings the blessings but the commitment to DO what it says.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

"The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside….” – Psalm 14:2-3

Love > Knowledge

Our intense need to understand will always be a powerful stumbling block in our attempts to reach God…. –  Anon

The Athenians who had gods for everything wanted to ‘know more’ about the True God Paul presented before they would believe anything he said. Hmm!

By nature we are a knowledge seeking people. We want to know how things work, how they came about, what happens when… Knowledge is wonderful, insightful, helpful, but it is just that – knowledge. Knowledge of itself tends to breed conceit and self-worth. Academia is wonderful, but we have come to a point where it is often left up to the ‘scientist’  or ‘academician’ to determine real truth or what is noteworthy – which all too often casts God aside, which in turn leads to a derelict nation. And the gist of all the knowledge in the world could never explain, or purely define ‘love.’ Love is what it takes to live by faith, hope for a brighter tomorrow, and God alone holds the patent on love. In His word He just asks us to not to fully understand Him but to just ‘trust’ Him. As the day unfolds will you question or trust?

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“Without faith, it is impossible to please God…” – Hebrews 11:6