Starbucks Is A Love Language

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.  2 Corinthians 9:6-8 NLT

So, a funny conversation occurred at my church over of all things … coffee.  A young lady made a Facebook post about how her wonderful fiancé had surprised her in the morning with a cup of Starbucks before heading off on a business trip.  I had to laugh at it because strangely the picture appeared to show off her and the coffee as if the coffee itself was her true love and not her fiancé.  “Starbucks is a love language?” I asked.  Before I knew it, a few of the ladies of our church joyfully chimed in saying, “lt most definitely is!”  I then knew I had to concede the point because to be honest, my wife loves her morning coffee as well!  There is nothing that brings a smile to her face faster than my bringing her coffee in the morning.  “Ooooh.  Thank you,” she says, and the glow on her face brings such warmth to my heart that I know no matter what happens later in the day, it will be alright.  It’s like a hidden love language between us.

If our relationship with Christ is a loving one, we will give generously with joy in our hearts.  Very early in my Christian life, the pastor who baptized me told me about how God loves a cheerful giver.  That thought wore on me as I thought to myself, “I have bills!  I can barely afford to make ends meet.  Where am I going to find something to give?”  Then the pastor reminded me to trust in God to provide for me when I do.  At first, I struggled.  Then slowly as God continued to bless my family, I was able to increase my giving, and one day, I found myself exceeding in my giving.  This is not to say I have not fallen off the wagon on occasion.  I have.  However, I continued to be both encouraged by and reminded of my promises to God.  Furthermore, my mind focuses on being a joyful giver.  I share this for two reasons.  First, it is to give courage to others who may have little to give to trust God a little more.  Second, it is to remind those of the joy that comes with giving.  If you are not joyful in your giving, it may be time to have a heart to heart with God.  Ask yourself, “What is in my heart?  What is it that God wants from me?  Am I expecting something from God when God is really expecting something from me?”  When asking these questions, don’t answer with a skeptical mindset that many would have.  Instead, focus on what’s in your heart and the love you have for Christ.  Then, act.

Our God is a generous God.  He gave His life freely in exchange for our sins; past, present, and future.  Furthermore, He did so without expectation.  All He provided us with is a choice.  Either follow Him or the ways of this world.  We can walk away, and live our lives knowing this.  However if we truly love Jesus and the sacrifice He Himself paid on our behalf, we will choose to follow Him.  Thus as He gave, we too will give to others not as a sacrifice but as joyful gifts honoring an unrepayable debt on our behalf.  Let us not be the ones focused on ourselves.  Let us enjoy the freedom God gave us giving freely not only to our church but also to others in need in any fashion that we can.  What is your level of giving?  What joy do you feel when giving?  My prayer is that we give in such a way that even ‘Starbucks is a love language.’  Amen.

Tues Devo: Learning

Philippians 4:8-9 “(8)Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. (9)The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (NASB)

Hello,

When we look at this section of scripture, we tend to focus on verse 8….and rightly so. There are many direct application items for our minds and mindsets. But verse 9 really caught my attention. Sometimes with being in a professional role that is focused on client learning, I think that sometimes it becomes easy to take for granted the process of learning and the application of things learned. But look at the progression here in this verse:

1. ‘you have learned’ – learning is the intake. First step in the process. Notice the past tense – Paul already taught them
2. ‘and received’ – There was acknowledgement of what was taught, and agreement that it was true
3. ‘and heard and seen’ – There was a model/example to replicate. This is less relevant without the learning first.
4. ‘practice these things and the God of peace will be with you’ – the application is what they are accountable to. Not only are they accountable, but as they practice what they have learned God will be with them through the process – their reward was an even closer relationship with God

How many things have we learned – but we haven’t practiced? I challenge us to find a couple, think about acknowledging that truth; look at someone else living that truth, then execute!

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Seek Wisdom

James 1:2-8

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Facing trials is not something that most people look forward to.  We often feel like trials are a negative thing however here in James we are told to consider it pure joy.  We are told that when we do, it produces perseverance. 

When facing a trial, we often ask others to pray.  We likely pray ourselves.  What are you praying for though?  Are you praying for wisdom or are you praying for God to “fix” whatever is wrong?  We are told to seek wisdom from God.  Once we figure out how to do that, we must take it a step further and not just ask but we must believe and not doubt.  This does not mean that God is going to answer our prayer as we want.  It does however mean that we must learn to trust God with whatever answer he gives us.  If we doubt, we should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 

Today I want to encourage you to start with seeking wisdom instead of praying for just what we want.

Thursday Devotional - One Constant in Change

Did you know that the parting of the Red Sea when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt wasn’t the only time God miraculously parted water? After the spies scouted out Jericho with the protection of Rahab, Joshua led the people to the Jordan River where God stopped it up, too, so they could cross on dry ground. Not only did it display God’s power to this new generation of Israelites, but it confirmed to the people that God had chosen and was with Joshua, just as He had chosen and been with Moses.

Joshua 3:5-13     Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

⁶ Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.

⁷ And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.⁸ Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”

⁹ Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. ¹⁰ This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. ¹¹ See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. ¹² Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. ¹³ And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”

With all the reorganization taking place in our company, there are a lot of changes happening. Change often triggers confusion and insecurity. As unstable as things feel, there is always One constant and that is God Himself!

God revealed His continued presence with the Israelites while they experienced significant change in leadership and location! He can do the same for us. We can trust Him and His plans. Our powerful God provides all that’s needed for His purposes.

When has God revealed His unmistakable power to show you and me He’s trustworthy? With whom will you and I share it?

The One constant - God - is the Lord of all the earth!  

Alice

Love And Prayers

Come and listen, all you who fear God,
    and I will tell you what he did for me.
For I cried out to him for help,
    praising him as I spoke.
If I had not confessed the sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.
But God did listen!
    He paid attention to my prayer.
Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer
    or withdraw his unfailing love from me.  Psalms 66:16-20

Lately, I have been in an unusually thankful mood.  It is not because the world has become a more certain place.  It has not. It is not because I have no feelings of anxiety and concern in my world for there are plenty.  There is a feeling that God is preparing to rock my world, and not in a way that will make me comfortable.  That being said, I have felt such an outpouring of love toward others.  I am reminded of the incredible love my wife has for me, and she has simply been the best!  She has not done anything special or changed something that has made me notice her more.  It’s just that the spirit has tapped me on shoulder to remind me there is this fascinating and amazing woman who has loved me for most of my life.  God also provided me with great parents that have raised me in such a way that I knew beyond a shadow of doubt who He was.

Love is not limited to those who I am thankful for.  As I wrote previously about gifts from God, love is a gift to be shared with others.  It pushed a gentleman to share the fears we have for our children, and a young lady to find common ground in love for God even as we disagreed about other things.  Sharing struggles in our lives made us not only more connected with each other but also God.  I’ve prayed for others more this week than I have in a while.  There is so much pain and anguish out there, one cannot help but be prayerful hoping God will guide and protect strangers as well as close family and friends. I prayed that He not only lay His healing powers on them but also use me to provide inspiration, warmth, comfort, and anything He feels I can offer.  Furthermore, I prayed for awareness that I respond in a way that truly honors Him.

Our connection with God should be an intimate one.  In reading today’s verses, you have a sense of the closeness David has with God.  David acknowledged his imperfections and sinful nature.  Furthermore, he was repentant and filled with praise for God, and reveled in God’s attentiveness to his prayer and ‘unfailing love.’  There was sincerity in the words and genuine affection that he shows for Him.  It is an example of what our walk of faith should resemble.  We are not only speaking of God’s word but also acting out in deeds.  We see people as God does, and we are compelled to act as if He is with us every step of the way.  Therefore, David’s message to those who fear God is impactful; it is an example of a Christ-centered walk.  It is a message that we all are to hear and respond to.

God is always with us whether we recognize it or not.  David understood this, and Paul, as one fearing God, reiterated this fact stating, ““But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’” (Acts 13:22)  When we both acknowledge our own sin and show adoring affection for God, He not only responds.  He delivers.  Let us embrace this example of who we aspire to be; responding to God’s calling and delivering as He has for us so often.  How intimate is your prayer life with God?  How does God’s love for you prompt you to act on His behalf?  My prayer is that our relationship with God is very active filled with love and prayers.  Amen.

Come as you are

John 6:35-37

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.  All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

Just As I Am by Charlotte Elliott

Just as I am - without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - though toss'd about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need, in Thee to find,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Thirty-one years ago, today, I attended a good old-style revival.  At the end of the service, the song “Just As I Am” was sung.  That was when I went forward and declared Jesus Christ was my Lord and Savior and I devoted my life to following Christ.  I was only a nine-year-old child.  Many may have thought I was too young to make this decision, yet I knew.  It is a day that I will never forget. 

In John 6, we hear Jesus declare that he is the bread of life.  We do not see him say that you need to be at a certain point in your life, living a perfect life or anything.  All we have to do is believe.  Many of you have already accepted Christ, and for that, we are all grateful.  Some of you may not.  You may be following our devotions because you know that you want to but you are waiting until your life is cleaned up.  Today I want you to know that there is nothing that you need to wait for.  Come, as you are.  Come to the cross, he is waiting for you. 

Thursday Devotional - Certainty in God

After 2 heart surgeries, including a defibrillator/pacemaker implant, my Dad is home recovering. It was a scary week for all of us. As I cried out to God for help, direction, healing, etc., I knew I could trust God. I wasn’t sure I could trust all the doctors or any of our own research and wisdom, but I could trust God who sees all and knows all and is in control of all. He’s the only Sovereign One over all creation.

As God prepared Joshua and the Israelites to enter and take over the promised land in Canaan, He had the spies enter the home of someone who had already believed in God’s sovereignty (His power and control over all things).

Joshua 2:1-11            Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

² The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” ³ So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”

⁴ But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them…

⁸ Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof ⁹ and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. ¹⁰ We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. ¹¹ When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

As the spies were in good hands, so is my Dad. God goes before us. He paves the way, just as He did for Joshua and the spies. My Mom and sisters and I had moments of doubts this past week. At times we doubted the right decisions were made or the right care was done. However, God reminded us of the ways He had provided when we had asked for wisdom and direction.

 

When has God gone before you in the past?

How can you and I remember that as we trust Him to go before us in the future?

We’re in the best hands with God. Only He is Sovereign.

We can have certainty in Him!

Alice

My 'Dr. Phil' Gift

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.  1 Peter 4:10-11

Lately, my life has been inundated with a wave of sadness, tragedy, and heartbreak.  The thing is none of it is directly relating to me.  It is as if somehow God has given me this ‘Dr. Phil’ gift.  Some of you know exactly what that means.  People seemingly come to you because in their mind they have no place else to go.  Being honest, I’m unsure how I got it.  However, I am grateful God gave it to me.  It is a privilege that I do not take lightly because it is like all other gifts God has given me.  They have a purpose that is not for me to question.  They are to be given and used as He sees fit. 

I knew God had gifted it to me one fall evening.  While visiting my mom in the hospital, I had left something in the car.  As I entered the hospital parking garage, a man was sobbing uncontrollably because he lost his child and needed to know why.  I felt his anguish and pain, and could not muster words to say to him because I did not have an answer to his question.  But I did have a shoulder.  I hugged and assured him it would be alright.  While I felt terrible for the gentleman, I could sense I was there at that moment just for that reason.  This is what it is like when you know God is using your gift.

God gifts us with abilities for His will to be done.  My pastors over the years have provided guidance as to what my gifts are.  Through greater awareness, those gifts have grown to where people rely on me for them.  If you have not taken note of what your gifts are, first pray to God for wisdom and discernment.  Ask Him to highlight those times where God showed up not for you but through you.  Then, take time out to ask someone who knows you.  Ask what they rely on you most for.  See if there are recurring trends.  I am not saying seek out and ask, “Kent, do you think I’m an empathetic person?”  Sincerely go up to someone who knows you well, and ask open-ended questions.  What makes me a great friend to you?  What do you come to me for?  Why?  Finally, ask God to give you clarity what on His will for you going forward.  Do as 1 Peter said; give freely.  You’re doing it right when the spirit in you moves positively with each act of generosity.  The goal is not for you to be perfect.  It is to grow in Christ as you continue to give that which He has gifted you for.

God gives us so much.  He gives us unconditional love, and provides us with protection.  He gives us grace and His Only Son to ensure we would have no barriers between Him and us.  When you think of it in that context, it sounds silly to keep that which you are gifted for your own personal gain.  Let us give share our gifts such that as God said in Matthew 25, “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities.” (Matthew 25:21a)  Do you know your spiritual gifts?  How can you go about both learning and utilizing them?  My prayer is we give of our gifts willingly and freely as my ‘Dr. Phil.’  Amen.

Tues Devo: Prove it

Hello,

We say we trust…but do we? We trust for the eternal and things beyond our control, but do we trust in the short term where we feel we can control?

I don’t have much to add to this – but just encourage you to reflect on how you reacted the last time something didn’t go your way. Did you scramble to control and fix, or was prayer and real openness to God part of your approach? Let’s prove our faith through our responses.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (NASB)

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (NASB)

Psalm 46:10 “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (NASB)

Psalm 57:2 “I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me. (NASB)

Will Hill

Make a Choice

I must admit that what I am sharing today is not my own.  I read this when someone else posted it this morning and I just thought it was good to share.

By Max Lucado

Maybe your past isn’t much to brag about.  Maybe you’ve seen raw evil – and now you have to make a choice.  Do you rise above the past and make a difference?  Or do you remain controlled by the past and make excuses?

Healthy bodies.  Sharp minds.  But retired dreams.  Back and forth they rock in the chair of regret.   Lean closely and you’ll hear them.

If only I’d been born somewhere else…

If only I’d been treated fairly…

If only I’d had more opportunities…if only…

Put down the scrapbook of your life and pick up the Bible.  Read Jesus’ words in John 3:6: “Human life comes from human parents but spiritual life comes from the Spirit.”

God has not left you adrift on a sea of heredity.  You have a choice in the path you take.

Choose well!