Category: living by faith

Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed [David], with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life.
— 1 Samuel 16:13 MESSAGE

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
— Ephesians 2:10

Did you know that God is an artisan? Even more importantly, did you know that you are|one of his masterpieces? God has designed us to be beautifully useful for doing good things! So let’s not let anyone, especially not the evil one, convince us that we are not worth anything to others or to God. His grace has made our lives canvases upon which he will provide the world more masterpiece works of his artistry! Let’s live up to God’s high opinion of us.

Thank you, dear Father, for knowing me and re-making me by your grace in Jesus. Use me to do your will and lead me to the appropriate people so that I can most effectively minister to them. In Jesus’ grace-filled name I pray. Amen.

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.
— Romans 15:30 NIV

The Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we pray (Romans 8:26-27). The Holy Spirit pours love into our hearts to give us hope and endurance (Romans 5:5; Colossians 1:9-11). So it shouldn’t surprise us that the love we have from the Holy Spirit moves us to pray for others in their struggles. Praying for others, what is sometimes called intercessory prayer, is a great gift empowered by the love that comes from the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. In today’s verse, Paul wanted this Spirit-led and love-driven prayer to focus on his desire to proclaim Jesus, something we’ve focused on for several days. However, this Spirit-led and love-driven kind of prayer can be offered for anything that another brother or sister in Christ needs. Let’s remember that the love we feel for others and the intercession we are given by the presence of the Spirit are there as gifts to equip us to pray for others!

Today, Father, I want to pray for a number of folks on my heart who face struggles of all kinds. Some are family members… some are friends… some are faithful servants of your kingdom doing your work in hard places… some are grieving… some face tough times… some are making hard decisions… some have family struggles… some have great opportunities they don’t want to miss… some are overcoming addictions… and there are many others. Please hear my prayer for them today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
— Colossians 2:6-7

Jesus is our center! He is the hub around which we turn. Rather than trying to add on to the truth of Jesus, we must learn to accept it and trust it in child-like faith. But that child-like faith must be nourished and grown. As Jesus remains our central focus and our hearts remain thankful to God for his grace, we will that our faith is strengthened and that Jesus is more real than ever.

Holy and Righteous God, please give me eyes to see evil and avoid it. Please give me wisdom to know deceptive and false teaching when it is placed before me. Empower me to live a thankful life of holiness so that I can live in Jesus to your honor and glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

“Story from our church service February 7, 2021”

Letter From Camp

Dear Mom,

Our scoutmaster told us all to write to our parents in case you saw the flood on TV and worried. We are OK. Only 1 of our tents and 2 sleeping bags got washed away. Luckily, none of us got drowned because we were all up on the mountain looking for Chad when it happened. Oh yes, please call Chad’s mother and tell her he is OK. He can’t write because of the cast on his arm. I got to ride in one of the search and rescue jeeps. It was neat. We never would have found him in the dark if it hadn’t been for the lightning storm. Scoutmaster Webb got mad at Chad for going on a hike alone without telling anyone. Chad said he did tell him, but it was during the fire so he probably didn’t hear him. Did you know that if you put gas on a fire, the gas can will blow up? The wet wood still didn’t burn, but one of our tents did. Also some of our clothes. John is going to look really weird until his hair grows back.

We will be home on Saturday if Scoutmaster Webb gets the car fixed. It wasn’t his fault about the wreck. The brakes worked OK when we left. Scoutmaster Webb said that with a car that old you have to expect something to break down; that’s probably why he can’t get insurance on it. We think it’s a neat car. He doesn’t care if we get it dirty, and if it’s hot, sometimes he lets us ride on the tailgate. It gets pretty hot with 10 people in a car. He let us take turns riding in the trailer until the highway patrolman stopped and talked to us.

Scoutmaster Webb is a neat guy. Don’t worry, he is a good driver. In fact, he is teaching Terry how to drive. But he only lets him drive on the mountain roads where there isn’t any traffic. All we ever see up there are logging trucks.

This morning all of the guys were diving off the rocks and swimming out in the lake. Scoutmaster Webb wouldn’t let me because I can’t swim and Chad was afraid he would sink because of his cast, so he let us take the canoe across the lake. It was great. You can still see some of the trees under the water from the flood. Scoutmaster Webb isn’t crabby like some scoutmasters. He didn’t even get mad about us not wearing the life jackets. He has to spend a lot of time working on the car so we are trying not to cause him any trouble.

Guess what? We have all passed our first aid merit badges. When Dave dove in the lake and cut his arm, we got to see how a tourniquet works. Also Wade and I threw up. Scoutmaster Webb said it probably was just food poisoning from the leftover chicken. He said they got sick that way with the food they ate in prison. I’m so glad he got out of prison and became our scoutmaster. He said he sure figured out how to get things done better without getting caught while he was doing his time. I have to go now. We are going into town to mail our letters and buy bullets. Don’t worry about anything. We are fine.

Love,
Jimmy

P.S. How long has it been since I had a tetanus shot?

[Peter said,] “We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
— Acts 5:32 NIV

The apostles, and some others, were witnesses of Jesus’ presence after his resurrection from the dead. However, if we listen carefully to this statement of Peter, there is a great promise for those of us who live centuries after Jesus’ resurrection. We have living in us a witness of Jesus’ resurrection — the Holy Spirit. Jesus promises to send this witness — sometimes called our Anointing from the Holy One, the Spirit of truth, the Comforter, Advocate, or Counselor — to live in us as his followers. This promise is not just for those of the first century, but this is a forever promise to anyone who loves Jesus and obeys his teaching! (See John 14:16-23.) Just as Peter said, the Holy Spirit is the witness God gives to those who obey him! Do we want to hear testimony to the resurrection of Jesus? Then, let’s listen and look for the work of the Spirit in our own lives!

Father, I am astounded by the touches of grace in every aspect of the Jesus story. Today, however, my heart is captured by the incredible gift of grace you have given to me in the Holy Spirit. While I affirm the importance of Scripture and the truth of the Bible, I am deeply moved to realize that you have given me the Holy Spirit as your living witness inside me, assuring me of the resurrection of my Lord. Thank you! I praise you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

[To the apostles, Jesus said,] “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere — in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
— Acts 1:8 NLT

Everywhere! That pretty much covers the world, doesn’t it? The amazing thing is that this ragtag bunch of disciples, who were nobodies from nowhere, did it. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they began a movement that has endured time, cultural differences, geographical distances, persecution, martyrdom, apathy, and misunderstanding. When the power of the Holy Spirit animates and motivates Jesus’ followers, they are compelled to care about all peoples and share the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth!

Loving Father, I know you want all people to experience your love for them in Jesus. I pray that the Holy Spirit will work in me, convicting me of my prejudices, calling up compassion for the broken of the world, propelling me to reach out to people around me, and moving me to give up myself and my resources to share the message of Jesus wherever I can in the world. I pray this for your glory and in the name of Jesus, my Lord. Amen.