admin, Author at Christ Church

God is For Me!

Posted on Dec 3, 2021 by admin in Devotions |

God is For Me!

I don’t live for His approval, I live from His approval.

The Bible says this: God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners … Long before we ever did anything right, long before we ever tried to serve God … Christ died for us. He was so much for us, and loved us so much, He showed us His love by sending His Son to die for us. (Romans 5:8)

So, that means you never have to say, “Well, I did good. Does God love me now?”

“Oops! I did bad, is God upset at me?”

“Oh, I helped somebody out. Does God love me now?”

“Oops! I did a double take when that good looking woman walked by – but I told God He did a good job when He made her – but I shouldn’t have done that, right? Now, God doesn’t love me – because I’m bad.”

No, now you know that God always, always loves you and God is always, always on your side. You don’t have to live for His approval, you live from His approval – like a little child who recognizes that the parents love the child just for who they are, not for what they do.

When you realize that God is for you, you won’t hide from Him, you’ll run to Him. You’re not going to live for His approval, you’re going to live from His approval.

Nov '21

The Key to a Blessed Life

Posted on Nov 5, 2021 by admin in Devotions |

Nov '21

November 5, 2021

The key to a blessed life is a heart of generosity. If you want to be more blessed and less stressed, you will become more blessed when you become more generous.

Look at what the Bible tells us: “One man gives freely.” Okay, so he gives … so, you would think he doesn’t have as much after that. But what happens? “Yet he gains even more. Another man is stingy, yet he comes to poverty.” How? How can that be? Folks, it’s a Law of the universe: “A generous person will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:24-25)

The Bible says it loud and clear! A generous person will prosper. So, the key to a blessed life is a generous heart.

Oct '21

Tap Into His Power

Posted on Oct 8, 2021 by admin in Devotions |

Oct '21

October 8, 2021

You are responsible for your own happiness.

You say, “Well, Jeff, I would stay in peace, but these people – these people really get on my nerves.”

You can’t control what other people do, but you can control what you do. If you let them upset you, you’re giving away your power and letting them control you.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Don’t let you heart be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27)

In other words, it’s not all up to you. Your patience. Your peace. Jesus is giving you His peace, His patience. So, He says, “Don’t let your heart become troubled. Don’t let it happen. Use My power to remain calm in times of trouble.”

Do you know what? You don’t have to let the same old things keep upsetting you. Quit telling yourself, “I can’t help it. They just know how to push my buttons.” Try a new approach. Decide ahead of time that you’re going to stay in peace, and you’re going to tap into that power – that Jesus Power – to remain calm.

A man was walking down the street with his friend to get a coffee. They went into the corner coffee shop where the man stopped every morning. The barista behind the counter was as unfriendly as could be. He acted like the man was bothering him!

The man paid for the coffee, smiled, and said, “I hope you have a great day.”

The barista didn’t even acknowledge what he said.

His friend said, “What was wrong with him? Is he always that rude?”

The man said, “Every morning.”

His friend said, “Are you always that nice?”

He said, “Every morning.”

The friend looked puzzled and said, “Why?”

The man replied, “I’ve made up my mind that I’m not going to let another person ruin my day.”

He was saying, “I have my spare tire. I’m not going to allow one pothole to ruin my day. And I’m not going to get stuck in an argument, or be rude back to him, and let him ruin my morning.”

There may be people you see every day who have the gift of getting on your nerves. It feels like they think it’s their calling in life to make you miserable.

The good news is, you’re in control. They can’t make you unhappy unless you allow it. Jesus said, “Don’t let ‘em.” They can’t make you frustrated; it’s your choice. Jesus has already offered to let you tap into His power. He will give you His peace.

Tap into His power to retain your peace.

Sep '21

You Matter to Jesus

Posted on Sep 3, 2021 by admin in Devotions |

Sep '21

You matter to Jesus.

Every single one of you is important. You matter. You matter to God.

The Bible says: “A vast crowd was there as He stepped from the boat, and He had compassion on them.” “Compassion.” That word means a strong, physical, gut feeling. That’s what it means in the original language of the Bible. It means you’re moved to the very core of your being.

That’s how Jesus feels about you: When Jesus sees you, when He hears your prayers, when He counts your tears, He is moved to the very core of His being.

Compassion. There is a school in England that has a course that tries to teach compassion. Over the term every student has one blind day, one disabled day, one deaf day.

And so, for example, the night before he is to spend his “blind” day, the student’s eyes are bandaged. The next morning, he wakes up and he is completely blind. He is completely helpless. He has to totally depend on others to guide him through the day.

The students don’t need to ask, “What does it feel like to be blind … what does it feel like to be deaf, or disabled?” They know. They know because they’ve been there. They’ve experienced it for themselves.

And, Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus knows exactly what you’re going through, because He’s been there. He knows what it is to be human.

When you are hurt by someone, and your feelings are hurt, He understands – because He has been hurt too.

When you are tired of everything, and weary to the bone, He understands – because He’s had days like that too.

When a friend betrays you, and talks behind your back, He understands – because He had a friend do that to Him too.

I don’t know what you’re going through today, but He does. And He cares about what you’re going through. Because you matter to Him.

Two-thousand years ago, Jesus looked at that crowd with compassion. Today, Jesus looks at you with compassion.