Family Friday: Trust God!

Are you facing a problem that seems bigger than life? Trust God!

Do you have health problems that just will not subside? Trust God!

Do you have a family matter that seems overwhelming? Trust God!

Are there financial difficulties in your home? Trust God!

Proverbs 3:5 says

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;

and lean not unto thine own understanding."

Thoughtful Thursday: My Testimony - Melissa

What does today mean to you?  Is it just another day?  For most of you, it probably is.  Can I share with you what today means to me?  Before I do that though, I would like to tell you a little more about myself for those who may not know me. 

I grew up in a Christian home.  My parents were saved when I was a toddler and immediately got involved in church.  I made a profession of faith at age 4.  Not long after that, my dad went to Bible College and became a preacher.  Growing up, my dad was the assistant pastor of our church.  We went to church 3 times a week and were involved in several ministries.  I never knew anything but church.  I also attended small Christian schools from K5-12^th grade, never attending even one day of public school.  All of my friends were either from church or school.  I lived in a “bubble” and was quite sheltered, but it was a great life. 

At the age of 18, the demise of my sheltered Christian life began.  It took about 2 years and a traumatic family event to get me completely out of church.  I got married, had a baby, got divorced and lived utterly miserable in the world for 10 years.  I resisted every attempt of God to pull me back to Him.

In April 2011, God grabbed a hold of my heart once again, but this time I did not have the strength to fight Him.  I had fallen so far down, but not too far for Him to reach.  He pulled me out of a deep depression and alcoholism.  I have been sober since April 22, 2011.

So, what’s so special about today, you ask?  Well, on July 30^th of 2011, while at a ladies prayer meeting, I got assurance of my salvation and know without a doubt that I am on my way to Heaven.  I don’t remember what I said and did as a child when I made that profession of faith, but this moment I will never forget.  (Actually, the specific place, where this life changing moment happened, is now my office.  How awesome is that?!)

God lead me to this great church, with a great pastor and staff.  Most of my family attends this church.  I met my husband at this church, got engaged to him here and then married him here.  We are happily married with our 2 wonderful children.  I now teach at our Christian school, where I attended and graduated from.  Life truly is great now!

I am so very thankful to serve a God of not just a “second chance”, but a God of “another chance”!!   

We Pray Wednesday: I asked God...

I asked God to take away my pain.
God said, "No, It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up".

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, "No, her spirit was whole, her body was only temporary".

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, "No, patience is a by-product of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is earned".

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, "No, I give you blessings. Happiness is up to you".

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, "No, suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me".

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, "No, you must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful".

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, "No, I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things".

I ask God to help me love others, as much as he loves me.
God said, "... Ahhhh, finally you have the idea".

Author Unknown

Teen Tuesday: Becoming a Leader

Easy Steps to Becoming a Leader

Bro Jason Watford

“Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, to the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.” (Joshua 1:1-2)

I can remember being told while sitting in multiple chapel and preaching services, “Be a leader, be a leader,” but honestly I had no idea what I was supposed to do in order to lead people. The Bible never commands one to be a leader, however, the Bible does teach that if you follow certain biblical principles that you will inevitably lead people. In this article, my goal is to show you how from a scriptural perspective to be a leader in some very easy steps based on the life of Joshua .

Moses was succeeded by Joshua, his minister. Have you ever wondered why Joshua succeeded Moses and not Aaron? I am convinced that the Lord chose Joshua to lead the children of Israel because of some qualities that Joshua developed in his life over the course of time and mainly during his teenage and young adult years. Joshua was born as a slave in Egypt. This shows us that it does not matter what home life or surroundings you were or are being brought up in, you can still be a leader. Joshua is only mentioned a few times in the Bible before Joshua chapter one. Allow me to take you step by step and review those times in Scripture where Joshua is mentioned before Joshua chapter one, and let us learn what he did to become the great leader.

1. Exodus 17:13, “And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.”

We all know the story of Aaron and Hur holding up the hands of Moses during a heated battle causing the children of Israel to win the battle with Amalek. However, Joshua was with the men in the battle and fought with them. While he was fighting with the men of Israel against Amalek, he was winning the hearts of those men by battling hard WITH them. To be a leader of people, you have to work hard. This is something that everyone can do. So many people want to watch people work and tell them how to work, but never work themselves. To be a leader in your school, YOU must make good grades, YOU must work hard on your bus route, YOU must work hard on your ball team, and YOU must work hard at walking with Jesus. Do not delegate to other people, lead by example like Joshua did.

2. Exodus 24:13, “And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.”

The second thing I find in the Bible about Joshua is that he associated himself with other leaders. Joshua went with Moses when he left to get the Ten Commandments. He could have stayed with the children of Israel, but he probably would have fallen into sin with them had he stayed. So many times teenagers “settle” to be around people who do not push them for Christ. I challenge you today to get with the leaders of your church. Walk with them, talk with them, take them out to eat, pick their brains with questions, and get to know them. Do not dominate their time, but try to get time with them as often as you can.

3. Exodus 32:17, “And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.”

The third thing that I find in Scriptures about Joshua is that he was too busy to sin. While all the people of Israel were dancing and worshiping a calf, he was too busy to partake in the sin. An idol mind is the Devil’s workshop. Too many people in churches have too much free time. Let me encourage you to get busy in your studies, bus route, prayer life and Bible reading so that you have no time for the Devil.

4. Exodus 33:11, “…but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.”

The fourth thing that I find about Joshua is that he was always where he needed to be. You never find Joshua somewhere that he should not have been. We often make leadership too hard. Leadership is being where you are supposed to be.  Be in church every week, be in your Bible, be in school, be at soul winning, be on your bus route and do not miss!! That is leadership!

5. Numbers 11:29, “And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon thee!”

The next thing that I find about Joshua is that he could be corrected. Leaders do not wear a chip on their shoulder. When a person is corrected, how they respond shows if they are qualified to be a leader. When your parents, youth pastor or teacher correct you, you show your leadership skills by how you respond.

6. Numbers 14:38, “But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.”

The last thing that I find Joshua did before succeeding Moses was that when he was given a job, he could be trusted. When a person gets into high school they should be able to complete a job when given one. That is leadership. When you are given a job, a halfhearted effort shows a lack of leadership. I thank God that everything Christ does, He does it all the way, 100%, decently and in order.

Are you a leader? Do you do the simple things that makes one a leader? Joshua would have never succeeded Moses unless he took the right steps before he took over. If you desire to be the “top dog” one day, then you must also start taking the right steps as mentioned above.

Message Monday: Understand the Stand

Understand the Stand:  

There is great deal of humility on display in a person who will halt his desire for achievement or progress to explain his actions and possibly even his intentions to those who are subordinates or merely spectators.  When did success become redefined?  How have we convinced ourselves that getting a particular task completed is more important than the people involved in that process?  When we take a step back and consider this perspective, we must all admit that human beings are more important than just about any project’s completion.  I know I have been guilty of this many times.  I will get so focused on a project and go into that “tunnel vision mindset” and allow my ambition and my desire to meet goals to force me to ignore the importance of helping others around me to understand, assist, and develop in the process.  In this passage, Paul set aside the idea of making the ministry larger and he focused on rebuilding and expanding his influence with the believers in Corinth.  Incidentally, he probably achieved both goals by building up the people first.  

 Situations like these remind me of the two greatest commandments in the Scriptures, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

I Corinthians 9:13-23:

13  Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? 

14  Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. 

15  But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. 

16  For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 

17  For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. 

18  What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. 

19  For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 

20  And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 

21  To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 

22  To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 

23  And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.