Your Response Is...

The remarkable thing about us is, we have a choice each day regarding the attitude we will embrace. – C. Swindoll  

Though in constant pain and suffering, Job continued to have a healthy attitude toward God his maker! His restoration soon came. AMEN!  

Life comes in full doses each and every day, whether we are well and on top of our game or sick and lowly. God created us to live life to the fullest for him, and nothing plays a more important role than our attitude. Life, drama, circumstances, and accidents will happen but the intensity, longevity, and impact of the situation will be based on our response as dictated by our attitude. The key is that those who find Jesus early in the morning are way ahead of the game.  

Until tomorrow……    

Pastor Botts  

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.” – Philippians 2:5-7.

Good Advertising

Make yourself an honest person, and then you can be sure there is one less rascal in the world. – T. Carlyle

Paul said he was ‘determined’ to know nothing among those he fellowshipped with except Jesus Christ. His life proved his point. Hmm!

“Betcha can’t eat just one!” That was the Lay’s Potato Chip ad slogan from years ago. It was good advertising, deceptive; but still good. Mind you, you had to buy a whole bag to try and best the slogan, and that meant sales. We are in a sense all in sales, advertising for our Heavenly Father through our lives. And our story, just like everyone else’s has a few dark spots or less-than-desirable chapters. But God doesn’t want us to be deceptive in our presentation, nor does He want us to hide behind the dark moments. His desire is that we treat them as any good marketer would, in a positive light. Tell others how we’ve become wiser, more disciplined, mature, experienced, and of course more dependent upon Him who forgave us and restored us. Good trustworthy advertising makes good sense and good business, and God is still in the people business.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“….How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God….” – Genesis 39:9

Time for some Action

Next in importance to having a good aim is to know when to pull the trigger. – E. Leterman  

In defeating the giant Goliath, David knew there was a time to shout victory for God, and a time to actually do something about it. It only took 1 stone. Amen!  

Truthfully, most people have good intentions. They want to be honest, forthright, dedicated to the task and disciplined. They want to be. But wanting to be and actually being or doing are far apart. The only way to get from one to the other is to take action. Too often we miss opportunities to act for God because we tend to overanalyze situations, or try to outguess what God has in mind. The simple truth is all God has in mind is that we “love our neighbor as we love ourselves.” And he gave us hands, ears, eyes, feet, and a heart to do it with. It would be a sin to end the day with our “pouches” still fully loaded.  

Until tomorrow……  

Pastor Botts  

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” – Galatians 6:10

Standing Tall

You can stand tall without standing on someone, and you can be a victor without having victims. – H. Woods  

Jesus said “there is none greater in heaven than John the Baptist,” and all he did was preach and baptize. Hmm!  

One of the worldly perspectives we digest early on in life is that there is always a winner and a loser, that someone has to come out on top; and at all costs we’re to make sure that someone is us. And in truth we spend an inordinate amount of time trying to ‘scratch and claw’ our way up the ladder of success, for success requires the type of thinking and action where one must fight for all they get. In the search for significance, however; one seeks how they may best benefit society and those around them. Their way of thinking is not self-fulfillment but the enrichment of others, which is wholly in line with God’s desires, for we never stand taller than when we reach down to help someone else up.  

Until tomorrow….  

Pastor Botts  

“Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself….” – Romans 15:2-3

Battle Ready?

Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional. – M. Lucado  

Upon re-uniting with his brother Esau, Jacob expected a battle that never came. God was in the meeting. Hmm!  

It’s a given in life that we will encounter conflict, for everyone is not on our side. Jesus told us we would have troubles, and we see from His life He had continual conflict with the religious rulers of the day. They had made a mockery of His Father’s commands and teachings, and He had come to set things back in order. And of course they resisted. I think we are all familiar with such circumstances whether it be with our spouse, children, siblings, co-workers, or friends. And yes, our anger or ire may rise, but it is in these moments that our faith should direct our response in such a way that it still honors God. God has promised to fight our battles and He is true to His word. There is not a promise God has made that He has not fulfilled, our response is to give it over to Him. Before the words or fists or feathers start to fly, we need to invite God into the battle.  

Until tomorrow…..  

Pastor Botts  

“…..do not be afraid or discouraged because of this great vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” – II Chronicles 20:15

Treasuring each moment

Life is a great bundle of little things. – O.W. Holmes

As Mary watched her ‘child’ grow the bible says she treasured many moments and hid them in her heart. Hmm!

Remember as a kid biting into a nice freshly picked peach or apple maybe. All natural, plump, juicy, sweet as can be with no additives, preservatives, or artificial coloring. Much different than what you get today from the market. There’s a difference too, between the natural ‘sweetness’ of life and the things we think should be added to it. A hectic pace that keeps our calendars crowded and far from the pace God wants us to walk that we may savor the day(s), a vast number of online connections and conversations rather than a meaningful face to face encounter with a friend. God never said life has to be lived in the fast lane nor be crowded without margin. His idea is that we just enjoy the simple pleasures. Today would be a great time to start.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“…better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil…” – Proverbs 15:16

Beyond Food

It’s time to diet when you can pinch an inch – on your forehead! – Anon

Paul was even willing to part company with John Mark to further the gospel message. Hmm!

It is often said that the first thing dieters lose is their good mood or disposition! After all, who wants to miss out on all the goodies, especially when there are festive ‘traditional’ holiday meals to partake of? But in truth a diet doesn’t always have to involve the refrigerator. We can put our wallets and credit cards on a diet to “fit” into a budget. We can cut back on TV and get more sleep or rest. We can spend less time on Facebook, and more time with our face in God’s book. The bottom line is the only way to really change who we are is by changing our daily agenda – doing a little something different each day, eventually making it a good habit. Today is as good as any to start.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“….if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” – Proverbs 24:14

Where God Lives

God enters by private door into every individual. – R.W. Emerson

Jesus lived and walked among the people and many of them didn’t know who He was. Hmm!

Ask any child where God lives and odds are they’ll tell you “in heaven!” Ask any adult and you’ll probably get a list of answers depending on their personal theological perspective. Such answers miss an important point. The truth is God takes up residence in our heart. He lives in us. That should be a very sobering thought. This fact alone should keep us mindful of our attitude, our speech, and our behavior at all times. If our body truly is the ‘temple’ of God, then He should always have say over what we do, and how we do it. The reason the world keeps searching for God is obvious, that’s because He is not on display enough in the lives of His children. He is engineering situations for us all today to give us opportunity to show He’s alive and present.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“[Jacob said]….how awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, this is the gate of heaven…” – Genesis 28:17  

Spirit of Giving

True charity sees the need, not the cause. – German Proverb  

When Jesus looked out over the crowds he saw them as sheep without a shepherd and had compassion. Then He went to help them. Hmm!  

We live in a world where it seems everyone has a hand out. We spread our paycheck out as much as we can and there are still needs to be met.  And all too often we want to determine why the need is there, what caused it; before we decide if we’re going to do anything about it. And in this day and age, though this is wise thinking; we should never lose our heart of compassion for the truly needy. Being burned in the past should not turn us off altogether, and if so we miss great opportunities to minister and reach out. It’s in many of these situations that seeds get planted. It’s not so much the actual gift but the giving of one’s self that makes it worthwhile.  

Until Monday....  

Pastor Botts  

“The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want…” – Mark 14:7

In it to Win it!

You cannot achieve victory unless you are in the contest! – Anon  

Even though God had promised the Israelites the land flowing with ‘milk and honey’ they still had to fight for it. Hmm!  

VICTORY! What a wonderful state to be in. Many of us say we want victory but we’re seldom willing to do anything about it. But just like we must work to receive a paycheck or attend classes and do the assignments to receive a good grade, we must work to have victory in those areas of our life we seek to change or make new. Just wearing the name of Christ is not a once-for-all automatic inheritance or guarantee of victory in all things. God requires us to show our faith and that means activity on our part. If we’re seeking victory and just waiting on God, maybe God is just waiting on us.  

Until tomorrow…..  

Pastor Botts  

“…..let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1

Trust God...for real!

God can handle it even when we don’t see how! – R. Murray  

The Red Sea parting was a physical impossibility in the eyes of the Israelites and Egyptians – but God works outside physical limitations. Hmm!  

If we take a minute to think about it, the sun rose this morning like clockwork and we had nothing to do with it. And it will eventually pass through the day and nightfall will come and we can’t prevent it. God has been doing this and many other miraculous things since the beginning of time. And not only is He involved in nature, but He wants to be involved in every detail of our lives as well. We often say “I know who holds tomorrow/future” referring to God, but the proof of our faith is in our ‘casting all of our cares on Him.” God has been in the ‘delivery’ business since He put man on the earth, so though we may not see how our situation can be worked out, it can; we need to just trust Him a bit longer.  

Until tomorrow…..  

Pastor Botts  

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” – Hebrews 10:23

Today vs Tomorrow

If you have one eye on yesterday, and one eye on tomorrow, you’re going to miss today. – Anon  

On the road to Emmaus the 2 disciples were so concerned with what had happened and what might’ve been, they almost missed HIM WHO IS!    

Last minute shopping, making preparations for the holiday, looking back over the years events, making new calendars and agendas for next year. Does any of this sound familiar? Possibly so for most of us! This time of year we lament on how fast the year has gone by and begin to make plans on how we’ll attack the New Year. It’s enough to wear you out. God knows what’s best for us which is why He only promises one day at a time. We should give the bulk of our resources, the bulk of our attention, and the bulk of our time to those people who cross our path today. This is how we spread the Good News and build the kingdom. At the last day God is not going to ask us if we worried about the needs or cares of life, but if we met the needs of those He sent our way.    

Until tomorrow……  

Pastor Botts  

“Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among all nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” – I Chronicles 16:23-24

Rise Above It

Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something. – H. D.Thoreau  

Joseph had many trials “hoisted” upon him and his character. But he rose above each one. Wow!  

Most of us would probably say in all of God’s creation we could do without flies, mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, etc., that they seem to serve no purpose at all. But they must for God Almighty himself made them and we’ve all experienced in one way or another their handiwork firsthand. The same is true of us; we were made for this day to do more than just exist. The world is to come to know Jeus through the love we show to one another and them. We were made to be God’s ambassadors to the world. As the day unfolds with its many requests, issues, and urgent needs, remember you are a part of His labor force. May the light shine within!  

Until tomorrow…….  

Pastor Botts  

“…..let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

Time Keeps on Slipping...

You cannot kill time without injury to eternity. – H. D. Thoreau  

Jesus told his disciples they MUST work while it is day, for it would soon come a time when they couldn’t. OUCH!  

Alarms, bells, whistles, chimes, etc. We’re surrounded by gadgets that each day remind us of the time. Time is the most precious commodity on planet earth. It is even more valuable than money. We can get more money, but we cannot get more time.  Each morning we all awake with the same 24-hour timeframe with which to work. How we spend it will well determine where we go when our time is no more. The key is not to waste it on fruitless endeavors, dead-end roads, harboring resentment and hate, or meaningless living; but rather invest it in lives and projects that will make an eternal difference. Martin Luther King, Jr. said “the time is always right to do what is right.” And that time is now, for none of us is getting younger by the day.  

Until tomorrow…..  

Pastor Botts  

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12

I Just Wanna Thank You

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues. – Cicero

The psalms tell us indirectly there are 2 words the Lord never tires of – “thank you.” Maybe we should try it!

So often, we allow ourselves to become so preoccupied with the demands of daily living that we forget to say ‘thank you’ to the Giver of all good gifts. Worship and praise should be a part of everything we do for it is who we are at our core – a work of praise and worship to God. Praise is effusive in thanksgiving and adoration, and it opens our hearts to walk even more closely with God. It is when we forget to praise Him that we are so easily overwhelmed by life’s issues and lose our perspective. Work may be hard and strenuous, but we should thank Him for the means to provide for ourselves. Heartache may visit us from time to time, but we should thank Him that we have learned what love is all about. No matter the situation we may currently be facing, we should praise Him. Not only does it pay to praise God, but it lifts the spirit of our hearts, and that friend, is a blessing in itself.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“….through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His name….” – Hebrews 13:15

Endings & Beginnings

Life is filled with endings, but every ending is also a new beginning. – Anon  

Adam & Eve were ushered out of God’s Garden after the fall ending their special relationship, but by then God had purposed to send Jesus. Marvelous!  

It’s true if we really think about it, the one constant in life is change. Every day, whether good or bad comes to an end and there is precious little we can do about it. We can however, thank God that he brought us through it, and begin to look with eager anticipation and expectation upon the next new beginning. This also applies in our relationships, friendships, jobs, and other areas. When God closes one door of opportunity he opens another. May you find his leadings. Today is Friday, the week-end. But praise God – Sunday’s comin.’  

Until Monday…….  

Pastor Botts  

“Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:25  

P.S. - Please make every attempt to make it to our Sunday School Devotional at 9AM. It's a 'special' presentation that you don't want to miss.

Blessed Failure

Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently. – H. Ford  

The Israelites failed miserably at keeping the covenant of Moses given by God. But then along came JESUS with a new way. HALLELUJAH!  

When it comes to tests, exams, tryouts, etc., within our hearts all of us want to do our best; be perfect even. But often, though we are well prepared we usually don’t fare well at times. The same holds true for life’s events, we usually fall short of expectations or perfection. The key is not to think life is over or our future is sealed because we didn’t succeed. We should take heart we have a God who believes in 2nd, 3rd, even 100th chances to get it right. And he has “graced” us with another day, TODAY, to hopefully start anew. I would suggest that the best way to start intelligently is with Him!  

Until tomorrow……  

Pastor Botts  

“The time is coming declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel….I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people.” – Jeremiah 31:31, 33

Life is Short

Be kind today because there may be no tomorrow. – R. Murray  

If the Good Samaritan had not helped the man he found on the road…..well!  

If we’re honest we often take it for granted that we will be around tomorrow, and the next day and the day after that, and so forth. We presume on God’s graciousness and favor only because it has been so prevalent in our lives. He is a mighty good God. But the truth in fact is tomorrow is not a guarantee for anyone of us. If we really take time to consider this truth, it should really help us put life in proper perspective; that we have so little time to do the will of The Master. Time spent being upset, irate, angry, vengeful, hostile, etc. is really wasted time we can never recoup. Today is the day to make a difference for the kingdom.  

Until tomorrow…..  

Pastor Botts  

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” – Proverbs 27:1

Clothed with New Life

Christianity is not turning over a new leaf, it’s turning over a new life. – Sparks

Paul, a man of means and status (Pharisee), considered his former life “rubbish” compared to a relationship with Jesus. HMMM!  

Sweatshirts. Rainwear. Sweaters, etc. We often wear these outer garments when the weather dictates it. Often however, we wear our “Christianity” the same way, when situations dictate it. But in reality our relationship with Christ must be an inward change of the heart permeating every area of our life, and not areas we want to pick and choose. Remember, if you don’t LIVE IT, you don’t BELIEVE IT!  

Until Monday…..  

Pastor Botts  

“You were taught, with regard to your  former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” – Ephesians 4:22-24

Giving

The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but to 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, neighborhood church, etc. For the most part the average person will give to support 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 tomorrow…..  

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