Something Came Up...

It’s amazing how quickly an emergency arises the moment you start saving for one. – Sparks

After healing Peter’s mother-in-law and many others, Jesus slipped away to pray. Or so he thought he did! Hmm!

Good intentions – we all get started on them but often find ourselves falling short. Saving for a home/car/vacation, and suddenly something else catches our eye. Enrolling in school or exercise classes and suddenly another opportunity opens up. Resolving to give more time to God/church and suddenly new friends and outings are before us. Call it test or trial if you will, but the issue still is what will you prioritize, for the final decision is always up to you. God expects us to be wise to the deceptive practices of our enemy and not lose focus. He will never put a hindrance to us coming to Him, so maybe we need to re-evaluate that emergency.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” – Matthew 6:20

P.S. Hope to see you tonight at 5:30pm for our Prayer Meeting.

Number One Priority

Bad habits are like comfortable beds, easy to fall into but hard to get out of. – Anon

Jesus jumped all over the Scribes, Pharisees, and religious leaders of His day because of their love for ‘the traditions of men’ rather than GOD. OUCH!

Sometimes, if we’re not careful we can easily fall into self-fulfilling acts or rituals that take us away from God’s program and think ourselves righteous. A habit doesn’t have to be sinful to be bad, but if it takes our focus off of Almighty God and places it on our own desires, we need to re-evaluate our commitment. God will present situations to see who will be first in our life today!

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“I am the Lord your God….you shall have no other gods before me.” – Exodus 20:2-3

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

Good Little Snowflakes...

In an avalanche every snowflake pleads “not guilty.” – Anon

When Jesus stated to his disciples “one of you will betray me," even Judas asked, “surely not I?” He KNEW all along. Hmm!

An avalanche is somewhat of an anomaly. It is a thing of beauty and power; to see the snow crashing and thundering down the mountainside leaving a clean pristine trail, but it is also a natural disaster destroying everything in its wake. And in the science behind it no one really knows how and/or when it occurs. Sadly, a lot of us have lives that are teetering on the brink of an avalanche, filled with all sorts of activity but little time for God. God is trying to get us to “return to Him,” to let go of those roads and projects that lead to nowhere, and we’re constantly adding more and more to our plate. The trick of the enemy is to fill our lives with “good things” so we take our focus off the “best thing - God.” Maybe it’s time we review our portfolio.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together…….so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” – Colossians 1:18

The Truth of What Matters Most

The things which matter most, must never be at the mercy of things which matter least. – Goethe

Jesus had a word for the Pharisees and religious leaders of the day for their love and respect for ‘traditions’ rather than God’s word -Hypocrites!

On average, most of us say we know what’s important. Hmmm! We’ll work 60-80 hours a week to provide for our family because they are important, yet we’re too busy working to spend time with them. We’ll say our marriage is important, yet we willfully spend inordinate amounts of time away from our spouse or good amounts of time on our social media platforms in their presence. We’ll even say our relationship with God is of prime importance, yet we struggle to give Him 5-10 minutes a day. The fact of the matter is no matter what we say, the life we live bears the truth, because you will only do that which matters most to you! The question is to determine what matters to you most.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, “Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments’.” – Matthew 22:37-40

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

First Things First

Prioritize or be prioritized. – D. Swanberg

Because the Israelites didn’t like to keep God’s covenant He introduced them to the Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, etc. OUCH!

No matter how you slice it, each day has only 24 hours in it, and if you’re anywhere near being a responsible person you know it’s not enough to get everything done on our to-do lists. Why, because well-meaning family, friends, and co-workers have a way of making unexpected demands on our time; not to mention, the unforeseen difficulties that crop up. It’s the same with life as well. That’s why it’s important we learn to do first things first. These are the most important ‘must do’ events in life and of the day, and they start with God. If we don’t prioritize our life others are ‘chomping at the bit’ to do so, and their means and motives often only go to serve their own interests. We need remember we were made to be victors and not victims.

Until Monday…..

Pastor Botts

“Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind…..” – Romans 1:28

P.S. - Hope to see you Sunday morning at 9AM for our weekly Devotional reading summary.

Stretched Thin

Stretching may be good for exercise, but not so for life. – Anon

Elijah was ready to give up on life because he thought ‘he’ was the only priest of God left doing the work, but God told him otherwise. Hmm!

Life and all its gifts and opportunities given to us by God was never meant to leave us feeling overworked, over-committed, and completely overwhelmed. But in truth many of us are, we are simply stretched thin. God’s gifts of family, careers, and even pleasure were never meant to supplant Him, but to be enjoyed in a way that brings glory to Him, and being stretched thin does not allow us to give our best to Him. God’s plan has always been that we take time to slow down, enjoy His presence, company, and conversation. If we’re short on time today may be a good time to take a serious look at ‘our priorities.’

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“Jesus} said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest…” – Mark 6:31

Be Polite. Be On Time.

Punctuality is the politeness of kings. – Louis XVIII

Even though Abraham was going to the mountaintop to sacrifice his son, he still rose early in the morning to get started. Hmm!

It’s both amazing and somewhat sadly amusing when you think about it, but the One who transcends time is the One always on time. God is never late. He may show up unannounced, that’s His nature; but He shows up on time; every time. And in truth, when we think about it, He deserves the same from us. Everything else in this world gets our early attention. We’ll tailgate before football games, show up early at the ballpark to watch batting practice, get to the movies early to watch the previews, stand in line overnight to get a bargain, and on and on. But when it comes to church, bible study, Sunday School, or some other ‘God function’ it seems tardiness is the norm. If it’s important to us that God be on time in our lives, maybe, just maybe it’s important to God that we be on time for His activities.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…” – Ecclesiastes 3:1