No Pressure for God's Love

The nearest to perfection most people ever come is when filling out an employment application. – K. Kraft

The Pharisee thought he was righteous until Jesus pointed out the publican. OUCH!

Perfectionists! We hate them, don’t we? Those individuals who seem to set unrealistically high goals and expectations for us. Oh, the pressure! But in truth, isn’t that us? We strive to follow all the rules, get all the right answers on the exam, fully achieve the goals we set for ourselves, finish first. Yeah, that’s us. And so often, this is the kind of pressure we put upon ourselves when it comes to our Christian walk. Not that it’s a bad or wrong attitude to have. But thinking and trying to live up to this standard every day we have a tendency to rely on our own strength and ability and often block God out. We forget that the scripture tells us God loved us ‘with’ our imperfections and calls us worthy despite our falling down at times. So if you’re still learning to ‘color within the lines’ or trying to ‘ace the test’ remember you are loved by God and nothing can change that!

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8

Good Leaks

Tears are the safety valve of the heart when too much pressure is laid on it. - A. Smith

Jeremiah was called a 'weeping' prophet. David believed God kept his tears in a bottle. Paul served in humility and tears. Hmm!


Tears of joy/exhilaration, tears of sorrow/grief, tears of frustration/pain, tears of humiliation/hurt, tears of repentance/renewal. Wow, so many life events that can bring tears, yet we seem to hold on to them like they're gold. Granted no one likes a crybaby, but life at times kind of demands such a response from us depending on the circumstances. It's not a sign of weakness as some would have you think, it's a sign of our humanity - our spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical being. You do have to sometimes wonder why God made us with eyes that 'leak.' Could it be because He knew there would be no more tears in heaven.


Until tomorrow....


Pastor Botts


"....And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes..." - Revelation 7:17

The Challenging Pressure

When we long for life without difficulties, we should remember diamonds are not made without undergoing great pressure. – P. Marshall

After Paul fully understood God’s grace, he began to revel in his infirmities. – WOW!

The challenges are what bring out the best in us, and without them we would seldom if ever seek to improve ourselves or our lot in life on our own. God does not allow challenges or difficulties into our life to defeat or frustrate us, but to grow our faith and trust in Him and move us along the path on our journey towards eternity with Him. And remarkably, God does not mind when we cry out to Him in the midst of our difficulties, He rather prefers it; as it shows we believe and trust He can do something about it or help us bear up under it. The key is to understand that as challenges come along, it’s actually God just loving on us.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation….” – Philippians 4:12

False Prophets in Disguise

Beware of self-styled experts. An ‘ex’ is a has-been, and a ‘spurt’ is a drip under pressure. – D. Wagoner

Simon the Sorcerer amazed the people posing himself to be the great “Divine Power of God”, until he ran into God’s man Philip. What a wonderful CHANGE! (Acts 8)

It's no secret that we all desire to be at our best, in the know, and on top of our game; even in our walk with God. But in this day and age of free-flowing information, books, tapes, etc. and our desire to stay positively focused on God’s desires; it is very easy to get caught up in ‘winds of doctrine’ that sound true but are not. Many bestsellers by well known individuals are fraught with erroneous theology, embellished truths, and positions of thought that are out of order and often contrary with the one true source, God’s word. Our prayer should be for a discerning heart.

Until ....…..

Pastor Botts

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” – I John 4:1

I'll be taking a few weeks off for some R&R. So until I return this keyboard will be silent.