Not Forgetting Yourself

Wherever you go in life you always, always take yourself. – J. Graham

Though he was in a foreign land, Daniel refused to defile himself even with the king’s food. AMEN!

People travel to far-away locales, attend extreme makeover camps, or even suffer through intensive ritualistic regimens thinking such activities will change them. A change of scenery may excite the senses, a makeover may make you look better, and a ritual may make you think you are doing better, but true change of who we are can only take place in the heart. It’s God’s domain, and unless we surrender it completely to Him, much of what we do will be lost at the first sign of distress. Joseph had many ‘distresses’ in his life but because of his heart and trust in God he prospered through every one of them. His God is the same one we serve today.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“'How do you know me?' Nathanel asked. Jesus answered, 'I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.'" - John 1:48

Give Yourself Away

The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches but reveal to him his own. – B. Disraeli

Paul took Timothy under his wing and unleashed a powerful minister for God. Not too shabby, huh!

WorldVision, March of Dimes, Salvation Army, Red Cross, the neighborhood church, etc. For the most part the average person will give support to a good cause. But God is not really after your resources so much as He is after you and your HEART. The idea of giving is to transform one’s heart into a caring, compassionate, concerned motivator for God’s plan. Can he count on all of you?

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches….And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.” – II Corinthians 8:1,5

Living The Way

First say to yourself what you will be; then do what you have to do to be. – Epictetus

Joshua made his choice loud and clear to all who would listen “me and my house will be servants of the Lord” and backed it up. He was a blessed man. AMEN!

God has given us many assurances of who we are as his children (loved, accepted, redeemed, protected, chosen, lenders not borrowers, the head not the tail, etc.) and what we should be. The decision has always been up to us to live like it. Maybe, just maybe at this point in our life we need to give up on trying to find the ‘secret’ to life and accept THE WAY of life. It’s the only way we can then claim the heritage and promises God has already laid out for us. There is no magic to it, just an acceptance of who God is and what He’s already done. To be anywhere outside the will of God makes no sense at all, but the choice is all ours.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13

Don't Let It Go to Your Head

Learn to humble yourself, after all; before God spoke you were nothing but dust of the earth. – T. Kempis

Simon the sorcerer thought he was a great man until he met the men of God, then he realized he was a sinner in need of grace. Hmm!

We see them all the time – stars, politicians, athletes, etc. – demanding special treatment or recognition because of who they are. It’s a battle we all fight at times – pride, ego, boastfulness. We want to be recognized and seen for all we have done or accomplished, we want others to know of our greatness, the sweat and toil we put in to ‘make ourselves into something.’ But truth be known, no matter how great or renown we become it is all by the grace of God, a gift of the Master for His glory. Public accolades and recognition are great but when we covet them, live for them, and begin to demand they be given we’re treading on dangerous ground. Ours is not to live for praise and adulation but for service.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

“Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.” – James 4:10

Loving Everyone

We make our friends and our enemies, but God makes our neighbor. – Anon

The expert lawyer was looking for a loophole as to who his neighbor was. Jesus cleared it up. Hmm!

Choice – what a great gift God gave us. The ability to make our own choices or decisions. We get to choose where to live, what to eat, what to drive, even who gets to be our friend. But the one choice God did not leave to us is who to love. We’re commanded to love everyone, especially our neighbor. And though we’d like it to be the people who live to the right and left of us, God says emphatically our neighbor is anyone we can help regardless of location, color, creed or affiliation. So as the day and weekend unfolds remember God might be bringing ‘new neighbors’ our way.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“….and the second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:31

P.S. Hope you can join us for 'Family Fun and Game Night' tonight at 6:30pm.

HOW Did We Get Here?

When you find yourself in a hole of your own making, it is a good time to examine the quality of the workmanship. – J. Remmerde

After Saul met Christ on the Damascus Road, he had three days in ‘darkness’ to review his life’s journey. Hmm!

It’s a given that life has its ups and downs. But God is not always testing us with trials, nor is Satan always responsible for our ills. Sometimes it’s just our own ingenuity that lands us in a place or situation we’d rather not be. Now the good thing is we serve a God who can bring good out of any situation or circumstance, however; often before He responds He expects us to reflect on where WE went wrong, why WE went wrong, and how WE can prevent it from occurring again. Holding fast to and practicing His Word will keep us from many holes, ditches, and pits that are completely unnecessary in life. So, unless we just like digging maybe it’s time we took a look in the mirror.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” – Lamentations 3:40

Real Change

Wherever you go in life you always, always take yourself. – J. Graham

Though he was in a foreign land, Daniel refused to defile himself even with the king’s food. AMEN!

People travel to far-away locales, attend extreme makeover camps, or even suffer through intensive ritualistic regimens thinking such activities will change them. A change of scenery may excite the senses, a makeover may make you look better, and a ritual may make you think you are doing better, but true change of who we are can only take place in the heart. It’s God’s domain, and unless we surrender it completely to Him, much of what we do will be lost at the first sign of distress. Joseph had many ‘distresses’ in his life but because of his heart he prospered through every one of them. His God is the same one we serve today.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

“'How do you know me?' Nathanel asked. Jesus answered, 'I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.'" - John 1:48

Attractive Gospel

Would you follow yourself on social media? - Anon

The bible says Jesus often drew crowds wherever he went. Hmm!

Pheromones! It's what insects emit to attract mates. You can't really see them with the naked eye, but yet we know the process works. It made me think of how the Holy Spirit works within us. We're tasked with making the gospel of Christ 'attractive' and really the only way that can be accomplished is through the Holy Spirit living in and through us. He has the power to draw others to Himself. Who He draws may not look like us or even sound like us, but that is how God builds His house to include every nation, tribe, and tongue. The Holy Spirit is the unifying presence that makes us all work together as one in Christ. Hopefully, we all smell good enough to attract someone.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." - Ephesians 4:3

Humble Living

To be proud of virtue is to poison yourself with the antidote. – Benjamin Franklin

Pharaoh’s refusal to bow his heart to God’s will as spoken through Moses only cost him his son. OUCH!

Though we know God is not pleased with the ways of a drunkard, thief, liar, or even a murderer, the bible never says He resists them, but it does say ‘God resists the proud.’ Now that’s a wake-up call to humility. Our sins or shortcomings may not be as open as the others, but when we try to pretend we’re better than, or that we have no fault or sin in our lives; the god of pride and self-delusion has taken up residence in our heart. We’ve all sinned, and every day is a major battle to live solely unto God. The truth of the matter is every kind of sin can be cleansed and forgiven by God if we humble ourselves and confess it to Him right now, before pride takes us captive.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” – Proverbs 26:12

Life Runs On Prayer

Remember that nothing will run itself, unless it’s running downhill. – Anon

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus exhorted the disciples to “keep watch and pray” and not sleep. Though they failed on several occasions, they finally got it right later. AMEN!

It’s true the life Jesus promised us is the life we all want, but it’s also true that to have the life we want we must put in the “work” required. If we were to ever seriously look at the life Jesus lived we would see the first and last order of work is prayer. The reasons our lives are often run down, drained, and without effect is because we don’t do the necessary work in prayer. Prayer is what keeps the life running. It is as vital to the Christian life as food is to the physical life. Without it we cease to exist. I pray yours is effective.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." - I Corinthians 15:58

Using Discernment

To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart. – Anon

When the other leaders and officials conspired against Daniel, he continued his prayers ‘openly.’ God eventually brought him vindication. OUCH!

We all know what we want and expect out of life and as such we set goals, objectives, and parameters, etc., on ourselves to help maintain focus and purpose. But when it comes to relating to others, though our desires may be noble, we cannot force those same goals, objectives, and parameters on them. One thing God’s patience with us screams very loudly is that the ‘grace card’ can NEVER be overplayed. As He extends mercy, forgiveness, compassion, love, grace, and provision to us each and every day in abundance, so should we in dealing with our fellow man. This does not mean we are completely accepting of others sinful ways - as God is not with us and expects repentance – but that we are not condemning them in their sin, leaving the door of repentance and change open to them. The situations and people God brings before us today will be worked out not so much by what God gives us, but by what we use.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“…So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong….” I Kings 3:9

Your Reflection

A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world. Your world is a mirror of yourself. – K. Keyes Jr.

The Apostle Paul is a great study on the concept of polar extremes. From hateful arch-rival to loving die-hard friend. Why – because of Jesus – that’s all!

It’s true the world is not perfect, and people don’t always receive us the way we want, but the world and the people were made by a loving God, who still loves them; and we are called upon to love them as He does. One thing the bible teaches us over and over again is that you reap what you sow, so our world around us, the people in our inner circle (family, close friends, associates) are a reflection of who we are and what we give. Remember, for the Christian love is not a feeling but a COMMAND. So if our individual world is 'hostile' maybe a little more prayer is needed.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“For out of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” – Matthew 12:34-35.

Illuminate the path and walk on it

Train up a child in the way he should go, and don’t forget to walk there yourself. - American Proverb

One of the major criticisms Jesus had with the religious leaders of the day was their hypocrisy, not practicing what they were preaching. Hmm!

It’s amazing sometimes how we think. It’s true we grow up and put away ‘childish ways and thinking,’ but what is TRUE and what is RIGHT doesn’t change from one stage of life to the next. If truth is absolute, and IT is; and if right is absolute, and IT is also; then our paths should always take us along the same routes we would prescribe for our children. We can try to shade both the truth and what we know to be right to our own situations to justify what we do but, “there is a way that seems right to a man but it leads to death.” A major part of ‘training our children’ is being a living example of righteousness right before their eyes, and the best way to do that is to always let God’s Word be “a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.”

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” – James 3:1

You CAN'T Do It All

Devoting a little of yourself to everything means committing a great deal of yourself to nothing. – M. LeBoeuf

The Israelites tried serving the gods of their neighbors and Almighty God. Eventually they found themselves with neither. Hmm!

We live in a world that says you can have it all, and unfortunately many believe just that. Sacrifice is not a part of the vocabulary. Many of us are stretched thin, involved in every “in” thing, going to every “in” place. And like our fashionable attendance to these major events (arrive late, leave early) we do the same with our God walk. But God has indeed called us to humbly submit our whole heart to Him alone, and has promised us all other things will fall into place if we do. And if we give it some serious thought, doing less but with a more defined purpose is really not half-bad.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33

What did YOU do?

When you find yourself in a hole of your own making, it is a good time to examine the quality of the workmanship. – J. Remmerde

After Saul met Christ on the Damascus road, he had three days in ‘darkness’ to review his life’s journey. Hmm!

It’s a given that life has its ups and downs. But God is not always testing us with trials, nor is Satan always responsible for our ills. Sometimes it’s just our own ingenuity that lands us in a place or situation we’d rather not be. Now the good thing is we serve a God who can bring good out of any situation or circumstance, however; often before He responds He expects us to reflect on where WE went wrong, why WE went wrong, and how WE can prevent it from occurring again. Holding fast to and practicing His Word will keep us from many holes, ditches, and pits that are completely unnecessary in life. So unless we just like digging maybe it’s time we took a look in the mirror.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” – Lamentations 3:40

Humble or be Humbled

Learn to humble yourself, after all; before God spoke you were nothing but dust of the earth. – T. Kempis

Simon the sorcerer thought he was a great man until he met the men of God, then he realized he was a sinner in need of grace. Hmm!

We see them all the time – stars, politicians, athletes, etc. – demanding special treatment or recognition because of who they are. It’s a battle we all fight at times – pride, ego, boastfulness. We want to be recognized and seen for all we have done or accomplished, we want others to know of our greatness, the sweat and toil we put in to ‘make ourselves into something.’ But truth be known, no matter how great or renown we become it is all by the grace of God, a gift of the Master for His glory. Public accolades and recognition are great but when we covet them, live for them, and begin to demand they be given we’re treading on dangerous ground. Ours is not to live for praise and adulation but for service.

Until tomorrow.......

Pastor Botts

“Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.” – James 4:10

Don't let it go to your head

Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly. – G. K. Chesterton

Though Paul started many churches and had audiences with kings, he never forgot that he was just a servant of Jesus Christ. AMEN!

Fame, titles, positions, possessions – if not careful; these things can tend to give one an attitude of superiority or pride. Success in and of itself is not bad or sinful, but when we allow it to dictate to others how we should be treated, or demand special considerations because of it, we’ve set ourselves up for a fall. Yes, life is a serious matter. But we, like the people we deal with on a daily basis are imperfect creatures too. So no matter our success we must remember that it too has been by God’s grace, not so much our own making. Remember, God “sets up and knocks down kings” as He purposes.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” – Romans 12:3

Reach Your Higher Calling

Change the changeable; accept the unchangeable; and remove yourself from the unacceptable. – D. Waitley

The bible says Jesus couldn't 'do' any miracles in his hometown so he left. Hmmm

“Close enough for government work!” It’s a phrase we’ve all heard and possibly used. With so much bureaucracy we marvel at anything that actually gets done. But this way of thinking has not only crept into our vocabulary, but into our daily lives as well. We don’t really strive for perfection, just “close enough” to put us in line with all the other average Joes. But God calls us to a higher degree of perfection and maturity. I’m praying we will all be extended beyond ourselves a little bit today.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“And he gave some, apostles;  and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” – Ephesians 4:11-13

P.S. - Hope you can make it tonight, it's our last Bible Study of 2018. We'll eat and be fed by the Word and the fellowship. We'll get started around 6:45pm.

Learning Humility

Learn to humble yourself, after all; before God spoke you were nothing but dust of the earth. – T. Kempis

Simon the sorcerer thought he was a great man until he met the men of God, then he realized he was a sinner in need of grace. Hmm!

We see them all the time – stars, politicians, athletes, etc. – demanding special treatment or recognition because of who they are. It’s a battle we all fight at times – pride, ego, boastfulness. We want to be recognized and seen for all we have done or accomplished, we want others to know of our greatness, the sweat and toil we put in to ‘make ourselves into something.’ But truth be known, no matter how great or renown we become it is all by the grace of God, a gift of the Master for His glory. Public accolades and recognition are great but when we covet them, live for them, and begin to demand they be given we’re treading on dangerous ground. Ours is not to live for praise and adulation but for service.

Until tomorrow.......

Pastor Botts

“Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.” – James 4:10

Choose Happiness

Even God Himself can't give a man happiness; it's a choice you must make yourself! - Anon

Zacchaeus was rich, but yet unhappy. Hmm!

Happiness! It's quite possibly the #1 goal on everyone's wish list, but yet it's the least visible trait you see displayed. You see anger, aggression, fear, depression, insecurity, and on and on, but rarely do you genuinely see happiness on full display. Could it be because the enemy has deceived us into believing happiness can only be achieved or enjoyed by 'things' and 'possessions' and 'activities?' Yes, life has a lot to offer, but with these offerings come ups and downs, health and illness, gains and losses - happiness isn't one of them. True happiness is right before each of us, it's ours to choose each and every day no matter our circumstances or position. And when we believe this and choose to live it out, life is so much easier to bear.

Until tomorrow.....

Pastor Botts

"But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful." - Psalm 68:3