Category: purpose in life

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
Psalm 98:1 (NIV)

“It is the acknowledgment of our humanity and our frailness that places us in a position to have a personal encounter with the living God.” (Os Hillman) Songs can stir us up or they can bring us comfort. Songs can take us back to a special time, or songs can give us hope for things to come. Unfortunately, we usually leave the words and the music of our songs only for someone else to write, never taking time to write our own “new song.” But today, why not make up your own new song of praise and thanks to God. It doesn’t have to be great, just heartfelt and offered to the Father from whom all joyful songs come.

Father God,
thank you for the gift of song.
Please receive my song of thanks
and praise from a heart you
have filled with your delight.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

“Grace isn’t a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It’s a way to live.”
– Jackie Windspear

Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.
– Isaiah 1:17 (NIV)

We are fragile creatures that can easily be crushed by rejection and defamation of character. This can trigger both defensive and offensive actions to protect our name. We seem to have even more courage however, to be incensed when wrong is done to a friend. We are ready to fight injustice when someone we love has been wronged. However, God reminds us that our worship means little if we do not also protect those who are weak, marginalized, oppressed, and forgotten. It’s not just our friends who need our help; it’s also those who have no friends who need us. “To do right” doesn’t just mean being a good person and avoiding evil in our sanctified little enclaves; it also means to care, comfort, and encourage those no one else wants to notice. Our circle of caring and comfort is often far too small… it is time to change!

Forgive me please, dear Father, for being selfish with your love and grace. I confess that I often find it easy to stay near those who are like me — who look like me, think like me, and dress like me. I know that there are so many in the world around me that do not have a friend, much less a defender. Open my eyes, dear LORD, to see those in my world that you would have me protect, encourage, and bless.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV)

In a universe so incomparably vast, in a world so marvelously diverse, we can be paralyzed by our insignificance and impotence in the face of such staggering enormity. But in moments of simple faith, we can be calmed by our reverence and dependence upon the Creator and Sustainer of such wonders and find great comfort that our lives are in his hands. Christians and the church must engage in the business of sharing Christ so souls can be rescued. As long as we are silent and passive, the ways of the world prevail. Some are timid because evangelism seems so dangerous… belonging to Christ has always been so. Jesus said, “The people of the world will hate you because you belong to me, for they don’t know God who sent me.” John 15:21 NLT

Almighty and wondrous God, thank you for knowing me even though I can’t begin to comprehend your glory. I need your love, care, protection, blessing, grace, forgiveness, and presence. Without you, I have nothing of lasting significance. Help me to share his message of faith with someone today. Please be near. In Jesus’ name I humbly ask.  Amen.

Now all glory to God,
who is able,
through his mighty power
at work within us,
to accomplish infinitely more
than we might ask or think.
Glory to him in the church
and in Christ Jesus
through all generations
forever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21 NLT

While we may often dream of doing great things for God and his Kingdom, the dreams aren’t as big as God’s plans. While we may be richly talented, influential, powerful, or rich, these are merely tools in God’s hands, not symbols of our sufficiency. “God is able” has to be one of the best and most accurate phrases in the Bible. But this time, it’s said about his work in you in me. He is able of much more than we imagine to work through and in us. What can we say to that?  Just say, “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!”

Loving Father,
please help me to know
and live your will in my life.
I want to be your vessel of ministry,
healing, blessing, and hope
to those around me
at work and play.
Please use me to your glory today,
and always. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.

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?