Devotions Archives - Page 3 of 15 - Faith Assembly Grand Detour

When Life Gets Tense Remember These 3 Things

Posted on 10/28/2020 in Devotions, Real Life | Tags: anxiety, Love, Prayer, purity, Real Life

It is really hard not to let circumstances around us in life make us upset.

We feel we aren’t treated fairly or get upset with someone when they make a comment on social media. We see presidential debates, we have disagreements, we have differing views and it can become wearing. We often look at others actions or words and become upset because it’s not what we think or believe. Maybe this is you or maybe not, but I know at times I have struggled with not letting the outside influence my heart and my relationship with God.

Whether it’s something that comes up at work or within family, we are sure to come across unpleasant situations.

It can be in the form of personal attacks or verbal arguments, disagreements with co-workers or friends on social media… you name it. We can easily let these situations start to influence our heart, our relationship with God and those around us.

The Lord has continued to bring three very important reminders to me when I am struggling with these things.

ONE: God calls me to a pure heart

The Lord continues to remind me to keep my heart pure when it comes to matters that tend to make me upset or feel wronged. It doesn’t do any good to focus on someone else’s views or comments when I have no control over it. When we have a pure heart, we draw closer to God. The Bible says in Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for that shall see God.”

TWO: God calls me to prayer

Instead of feeling angry towards another person or situation, I am called to pray for those things. If someone has wronged me, pray. If people don’t see the political world how I see it, pray. Don’t pray for the things I want, but the things God wants to come out of situations or how he wants to work in someone’s life. Matthew 5:44 tells us to Love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

THREE: God calls me to love

The last reminder is to love. Luke 6:27 says “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who persecute you.” First, we have to hear, second is to love and third is do good. Let us come together before God and ask him to help us love those around us. Not the easy to love, but those that need to see the true love of God.

Resist allowing the world’s opinions and pressures influence your heart and relationship with God. Let’s put our trust in God alone – our firm foundation that cannot be shaken. Be encouraged through this song and make it your prayer today.

Author:

Ryan Bivins, Worship Leader

Oct '20

Entering God’s Rest – Our First Work

Posted on 10/07/2020 in Devotions, Soul Care, Spiritual Growth | Tags: abiding, anxiety, hope, limits, Peace, psalms, rest, Soul care, Spiritual Growth

Oct '20

With the times we live in, it seems like everyone is on edge. I’m fairly certain you feel it. Life is fragile and uncertain, but God invites us on different path – to enter His rest.

Jesus knew His limits and adjusted His daily rhythms on a regular basis – and He was God! He lived by the Father’s guidance and found rest – even when (to the disciples anyway) it seemed as if everything was falling apart. If even Jesus was mindful of limits, why do we feel like we can keep relentlessly pushing without slowing down to tend to our souls?

We need God to bring us back to His still waters and restore our souls on a regular basis. This needs to be our first work before our earthly work begins. Check out these 5 practices to help you enter His rest.

Give yourself space to be quiet.

Most of us are not good at sitting in the quiet, allowing our soul to be vulnerable before ourselves and God. It can be a raw and frankly, uncomfortable place to be. Because we are so wired to solve problems and fix things, we often avoid what’s really going on inside us rather than quieting and allowing ourselves to hear.

In her article Solitude: A Place for Your Soul to Come Out, Ruth Haley Barton points out the importance of creating time and space for being with what’s real… “to celebrate the joys, grieve the losses, shed my tears, sit with the questions, feel my anger, attend to my loneliness. This kind of ‘being with what is’ is not the same thing as problem-solving or fixing because not everything can be fixed or solved. Rather, it is to allow God to be with me in the midst of what’s real and to wait for Him to do what is needed.”

Enjoy resting in the abiding – rather than the doing.

You can relax in God’s presence. Allow yourself to soak in the security and calm assurance you have in Jesus. He says He loves you, He will never leave you, and says not to be afraid. When the Israelite people were faced with the Red Sea in front of them and no way out, Moses said to them, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today…The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.” (Exodus 14:13, 14) We can relax in the presence of Abba Father, knowing He in control of all things.

Notice the beauty around you – even in the smallest of things.

God speaks to us on a daily basis. Do we hear Him, see Him? All of creation shouts to the glory and beauty of God. Even the smallest of things can point us to His goodness. God is the Author of everything beautiful in the world – from tender affection to the wonder of delicate spring flowers on a mighty mountain. The cool thing about slowing down to notice is it cultivates gratefulness and wonder in our hearts, drawing us back to Him.

Embrace your limits.

Are you stressed and anxious? Tense and triggered? Our body often signals us in ways we often ignore. Lay these before the Lord and mentally/emotionally detach from the stress. Philippians 4: 6-7 says “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Perhaps instead of stretching our limits in every way, we need to embrace them as God-given. Limits keep us grounded, keep us humble, and grows us in wisdom.

Drink in the scriptures.

In Psalm 23, David mentions God’s “rod and staff” and how he finds comfort in them. The good Shepherd guides and directs us through His Word. Find assurance, life-changing truth, and peace through taking in and meditating on His words. We often think in terms of “doing ministry” for Him, but He desires to work in you first. Be still before Him so he can meet you in the stillness – He has ministry to do in your spirit. The Lord is our shepherd – we have all we need in Him (Psalm 23).

Cling to Jesus friends. By entering into His rest first, a solid foundation is built. With His guidance, we find health, wisdom and maturity for all earthly work to follow.

Author:

Michelle Marx

Read more from this author on the Michelle Renee Speaks Blog.

Jul '20

Are you prepared for eternity?

Posted on 07/06/2020 in Devotions, Soul Care, Spiritual Growth | Tags: eternity, Jesus, Jesus return, Salvation

Jul '20

I love God’s word!

I have a medley of scripture verses developed over the years that the Lord has given me that I recite nearly every day on my “drive to work”. Yup, haven’t been as faithful with this in my work from home status over the last few months, but I am still prompted often to recite it in order to keep it fresh in my mind. I have also recently been blessed with scripture that has encouraged me in this crazy part of world history over the last several months. God’s word helps me keep a right focus, control my fear, and maintain an attitude of worship.

My recent blessing comes in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and in my Bible is titled “The Coming of the Lord”. I won’t list it here in its entirety but ask you to read it. I have excerpted verses 16 and 17.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first (those who have died having chosen Jesus). After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever.

Can you get excited about this truth?

If we can’t get excited about this, we don’t understand the gospel or the second coming of Christ. If we don’t understand what God has prepared for us for all of eternity, we don’t understand the gospel or the second coming of Christ. If we think we would rather enjoy the things of this world and have bought into the worldly notion that heaven will be boring as we simply float around in the clouds singing worship songs, we don’t understand the gospel or the second coming of Christ.

“Therefore encourage each other with these words” – 1 Thessalonians 4:18

The Bible tells us Heaven and earth will be one and God is coming to live with us (Revelation 21) – how incredible is this? Those whose name is written in the book of life having chosen Jesus Christ will help God rule the universe. How crazy cool! Isaiah prophesied this 700 years before Christ, Jesus talked about it during his life on earth, and John saw this 100 years after Christ as he was given this vision in Revelation 21. I pray you have been encouraged as you think deeply about this truth.

I have learned over the years that God’s truth coming alive in our hearts and minds doesn’t just happen, it takes discipline to study, meditate, and marinate (as Pastor Jon reminds us) as God allows and desires us to grow in relationship with Himself.

Are you able to make time for getting to know God and ensure you are prepared to meet Jesus in the clouds? I pray everyone reading this will be prepared. If you’d like to talk more about this, please contact us – we’d be filled with joy to introduce you to Jesus and help you grow in Him!

Author:

Randy O. | Elder, Faith Assembly

Jun '20

Parenting in Difficult Times

Posted on 06/01/2020 in Devotions, Real Life | Tags: Kids, Parenting, Patience, Perseverance

Jun '20

What kind of legacy are we leaving our children… especially in our nation’s current situation? What we are facing seems to be a difficult, challenging, and very interesting time in our lives right now. How are we reacting, what are we saying, how are we loving, steering, and guiding our children through this time?

At first things seemed to be going okay. Staying home, watching movies and schooling at home seemed to be “fun” at the moment – until it continued week after week. Those routines seemed to exit the mind as quickly as they came. Schoolwork became a fight, meal times sporadic, screen time continued to increase and attitudes became more evident.

Being socially distant is not a normal thing for adults – let alone children – so when it continued week after week it started to affect everyone.

Our children are watching our words and actions each hour of the day. How have I handled this? Well, not always with love and patience, but with God’s help and guidance He picks me back up each time I fail and fall. It is so important to remember that God is in control and He is our help!

God is our refuge and STRENGTH, a very present help in trouble. Psalms 46:1

We are not alone in this, and we need His help and guidance each day. There is so much information out there telling us what we should be doing and not doing that it can be hard to keep them straight.

The most important thing to remember? Stay focused on the information that is TRUE – that being God’s Word. There are so many truths and lessons we can learn from these experiences we are going through… don’t miss them!

In Proverbs 22:6 it says to “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it”

We have a wonderful opportunity as parents to instill some very good life lessons into our children. When we are pushed into things we are not use to, how do we react and guide our children?

Do we speak truth?

Do we show love no matter what?

Do I point them to Christ?

Personally, this is a challenge for me every single day, but I pray each morning for God to help me choose Godly responses. I know I can’t raise these children on my own so I need to keep seeking out truth to teach them and pray that they choose for themselves to follow him.

When my kids look back at this experience, I pray they will remember how we as a family stayed united and sought after God’s truth through it all.

I’m sure they are going to remember the screaming and impatience I had during school work (Lord, help me!) but I sure hope they will remember the strength and comfort we took in God’s word to protect and guide us. He alone is our constant helper and an ever present help in time of need.

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! Psalm 121:2

How has your parenting been going during this crisis? Whether rocky or smooth sailing, remember His mercies are new every morning. Our Savior loves your children even more than you do! Entrust your heart to Him and allow Him to work in and through you to be the best parent you can be. Parents, you’ve got this!

Author:

Jordan Bivins

Faith Kids lead

May '20

Called to be Servants

Posted on 05/24/2020 in Devotions, Spiritual Growth | Tags: commitment, Generosity, Giving, Sacrifice, servant, walking in the light

May '20

Have you noticed how affectionately the followers of Jesus were described in the Bible? Many warm names were used to describe God’s children, here are just a few: brothers and sisters, children, believers, disciples, the elect (I like that one), sons and daughters, and one of my favorites – SERVANT.

Sadly, many don’t appear to appreciate or have the desire to accept the role of someone who serves. I have to admit; how I act, what I think, what I talk about, and many times the content of my prayers center around my needs and wants – not someone else’s.

Jesus lived and taught something different to those around Him. He gave His life so we could experience freedom from sin and have eternal life with Him, quite the act of a servant. For us salvation not only includes forgiveness and eternal life, it also means taking on the character of Christ and becoming servants of the Father.

This, however, is not the way it shall be among you. If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest; and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of the others – like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life to redeem many people. Matt 20:26-28 (GNT)

Even though Christ had a huge following, He didn’t look for power, status, or admiration. He came to serve, and He never lost sight of that during His time on earth. The Bible tells us Jesus is our example. It also tells us He was equal to God but humbled Himself to become a man. Just like Jesus, we are one with the Father. Add to that the truth of how we are made in God’s image. It seems reasonable then that serving is a part of our new nature and make-up.

God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus He has created us for a life of good deeds, which He has already prepared for us to do. Eph 2:10 (GNT)

If we struggle with the idea of serving others and are honest with ourselves, it looks like the only thing that stands between us being who God designed us to be and who we are today is… ourselves.

Anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal. John 12:25 (MSG)

Without a doubt, the Father will honor our hearts and actions when we move from concentrating on ourselves to focusing on how each of us can help a hurting world. Jesus is our Savior AND the Lord of our life. We have one purpose and that is to be His servant to glorify Him.

What might be the result of giving ourselves to a life of service as our Savior did? I think it’s this: when we, the body of Christ, share His love and give of ourselves to others, we give God an open door, through us, to affect the world in an amazing way.

As for you, my friends, you were called to be free. But do not let this freedom become an excuse for letting your physical desires control you. Instead, let love make you serve one another. For the whole Law is summed up on one commandment; ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself’. Galatians 5: 13-14 (GNT)

This topic is near and dear to my heart so I could go on, but I’ll leave you with a few thoughts to ponder instead.

From My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers:

If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain but what He pours through us that really counts. God’s purpose is not simply to make us beautiful, plump grapes, but to make us grapes so that He may squeeze the sweetness out of us. Our spiritual life cannot be measured by success as the world measure it, but only by what God pours through it — and we cannot measure that at all.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. 1 Peter 4:10 (ESV)

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 1 Corinthians 9:19 (ESV)

Servanthood has an eternal impact on lives. It willingly involves itself in the needs of others as the Holy Spirit leads us, leaving God to work the results. God is asking us if we are willing to do a servant’s work for Him. What is He calling you to do today?

Author:

Cindy Drew

Church Development

May '20

The Righteousness of God

Posted on 05/04/2020 in Devotions, Soul Care, Spiritual Growth | Tags: communion, Freedom, Love, righteousness, Truth

May '20

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” -2 Corinthians 5:21

Jess and I had communion this last Sunday. It’s a fascinating sacrament. We do it to remember this: the blood of Jesus washes our sin away, and at the same time, God places the righteousness of Christ on us. It becomes the lens God uses every time he sees us. Theologians call it, “Imputed Righteousness.” This righteousness was a concept that I did not understand until my sophomore year in Bible College. But I didn’t learn it in a classroom.

A floor mate of mine loved Jesus. Let’s call him Gus. Gus loved Jesus so much that he became known for it in a dorm full of Bible majors. Like many colleges, I remember we’d have late-night heart-to-heart conversations. Everyone would listen as a guy shared his life story. Then there would be a respectful silence before we responded to build that person up, to encourage them.

When Gus was in the discussion, he’d start his response with a slightly longer version of the same thing he said every morning while greeting people.

For example, let’s say I just finished sharing my life story. After the short silence, Gus would get up, put his hand on me, and look me in the eye, “First off, Phil, do you know that you are the righteousness of God? That when God looks at you, he does it with all the limitless love he has for his perfect son Jesus, and it brings him unimaginable joy to even look at you?”

When Gus first said something like that to me, I told him I understood. But I’ll be honest; I didn’t, not yet.

It would take a few more mornings of, “Good morning, Phil!”

“Good morning Gu-”

“Did you know that today, God sees you as righteous?!”

At 26 minutes into the Sunday morning service on April 26, Pastor Jon articulated imputed righteousness. Every time we take communion, that beautiful doctrine is there. I honestly can’t tell you how I grew up all those years in the church and missed it.

However, I can tell you this. Jesus shed his blood so that in him, we might become the righteousness of God. The more you remember that, the more it will change your life.

And if you remind others, it could change their lives too.

If you’re reading this and desire to know more about Jesus, contact us. It will absolutely change your life. We are here to have that conversation when you’re ready.

Author:

Phil Arellano

Faith Foundations Youth