Remember to Press On

To keep proper focus always remember: From where you came; Where you are going; and to Whom you must give account. – Richard Murray

In all of his misery Job never forgot that “naked I came into the world and naked I shall depart, but the Lord is to be praised.” WOW!

With all that’s going on in the world around us and in our immediate lives sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. The number one goal of our enemy is to get us to take our focus off of God. Where we begin to major in the minor things in our life, our imperfections, failures, our losses, making them the focal point. This happens when we get caught up in self-pity, for we leave little room for God to work in us and on us. We can’t wallow in the moment, we must remember we’re on a journey for God. Progress sometimes is slow, but if we keep moving forward we will one day have a good report.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” – Philippians 3:12

Though You May Fall Down...

Been there, done that, got a T-Shirt! - Anon

Realizing one-size didn't fit everyone, Paul said he "became all things to all men to win just one." Hmm!

Plain and simple, life means risks. Getting uncomfortable, feeling a bit uneasy at times, waiting for the end result. But that's what makes life - life. The possibility of failure is always among us, and yes, we should be concerned about it but not paralyzed by it. When we look at things with the proper attitude failure plays a really productive role in success. It provides valuable insight and information, lets us know which roads we no longer have to travel, which mountains we don't have to climb again, and which oceans we no longer need to set sail on, which in turn narrows our focus and increases our chances for succeeding the next time. God gives us many, many opportunities to serve Him, so today is just one more chance to get it right.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"...let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up..." - Galatians 6:9

Time Best Spent

Wisdom is the power to put our time and our knowledge to proper use. - T. Watson

When it came to building the ark, Noah didn't know how much time he had but he also didn't waste any of it. Hmm!

A smart phone! That's what I have. And it often tells me things I guess I should be made aware of. Like, each month it will give a summary of my time driving and show me the day I traveled the most miles. Yeah! Like I really, really need to know that. But one thing I did notice is the total time I spent driving (hours/minutes). It made me wonder. What if the phone tracked the amount of time we spent on social media, the amount of time we spent following news leads/individuals, podcasts, playing games, or just amusing ourselves with pictures or recipes, etc? Would we like the results? Could some of that time have been better spent in prayer, meditation, or even meaningful conversation with a family member or friend? I know we use these distractions to escape for a breather, but some distractions actually steal opportunities, while others hinder our obedience to "seek the things of God and His righteousness." Though it is a smart phone, I think we should be smart as to how we use it instead of letting it use us.

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:15-16

Don't Bank on Tomorrow

Sometimes ‘later’ becomes NEVER. Do it NOW! – Anon

You might call Mordecai’s insistence for Esther to speak up life-saving. Hmm!

REGRET! A simple 6-letter easy to spell word. But the definition carries a lot of weight and can often be overpowering in our life. To wish we had opportunity to “do over” something we did wrong or “do” something beautiful we didn’t get a chance to do at all. Those missed opportunities to visit with a loved one before God called them home, missed opportunities to support a good cause, to keep our promises to our children, or honor the promises we even made to ourselves. How we invest our time is our own decision, but we must remember two things. First, our time is limited, and we don’t know how much we have. Second, the enemy plays on it, always telling us “You’ll have time for ‘that’ later, just enjoy my company right now!” God has given us today full of hope, our assignment is to turn it into joyful memories. May we invest wisely!

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“….the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure….For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter” – Ecclesiastes 8:5-6

Focus Forward

To keep proper focus always remember: From where you came; Where you are going; and to Whom you must give account. – Richard Murray

In all of his misery Job never forgot that “naked I came into the world and naked I shall depart, but the Lord is to be praised.” WOW!

With all that’s going on in the world around us and in our immediate lives sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. The number one goal of our enemy is to get us to take our focus off of God and major in the minor things in our life, our imperfections, failures, our losses. When we get caught up in self pity we leave little room for God to work in us and on us. We can’t wallow in the moment, we must remember we’re on a journey for God. Progress sometimes is slow, but if we keep moving forward we will one day have a good report.

Until Monday…..

Pastor Botts

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” – Philippians 3:12

Patience Required

Everything comes at the proper time to him who knows how to wait. – Anon

When God finally freed the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, not a one of them asked Him ‘what took so long!’ – Hmm!

Though our average life span of 60-70 years may seem short, in the calendar of God it is long enough to accomplish every good and perfect work He has ordained for us, in the way He has purposed it for us, at the time He has established for us. Our attempts to speed life and its processes along so we may ‘enjoy’ life to the fullest only frustrates us, for the only true way to enjoy life in the fullest is through the action and activities of God, and He’s never been in a hurry. Patience is built upon a bedrock of trust, and because God transcends time as we know it, we must learn to faithfully trust Him in all things – hence patience is required.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“…..the revelation awaits an appointed time…and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” – Habakkuk 2:3

Push Press Progress

To keep proper focus always remember: From where you came; Where you are going; and to Whom you must give account. – R. Murray

In all of his misery Job never forgot that “naked I came into the world and naked I shall depart, but the Lord is to be praised.” WOW!

With all that’s going on in the world around us and in our immediate lives sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. The number one goal of our enemy is to get us to take our focus off of God and major in the minor things in our life, our imperfections, failures, our losses. When we get caught up in self pity we leave little room for God to work in us and on us. We can’t wallow in the moment, we must remember we’re on a journey for God. Progress sometimes is slow, but if we keep moving forward we will one day have a good report.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” – Philippians 3:12