“What do you do when you don’t know what to do?”  Have you ever asked yourself that question?  In our current series entitled “Courageous” a certain Old Testament king named Jehoshaphat found himself in that exact situation.  He’s surrounded by a ‘vast’ army.  There’s no possible way out and the outlook is not promising.  So what did he do?  I think his response sets a great example for us to follow in how to face our adversity courageously.  First, he acknowledges that they don’t have the strength to stand up against this enemy, that they can’t fix this problem within themselves.  So often we try to fix problems that we were never intended to fix within ourselves.  The only person that God can’t help is the person who is determined to help themselves. Next, he turns his attention to God.  He openly states “…We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”  He might not have known what to do, but he knew where to turn!  You see, our focus will determine our fate!.  Then he is instructed to stand his ground...

In Matthew 25, we read the parable of the master who went on an extended trip and entrusted talents to his servants and the job of taking care of his kingdom and interests.  Two servants used and invested their talents and doubled them.  One servant took the talent and hid it.  When the master came back to settle accounts with the servants, he was delighted with the servants who used and invested their talents. In fact, he promoted them from servants to partners in his kingdom.  The one who hid his talent, the master took it from him and gave to one who had been wise in investing his talents.

We too, have been given talents (money, resources, gifts, abilities).  They are not ‘ours’ but rather they belong to God. (Psalms 24:1)  Everything we have (houses, cars, family, money, stuff, etc.) is an entrustment from God.  He’s given them to us to use, invest, and serve HIS purposes.  One day, we too, will give an account of...

A mother of 3 unruly preschoolers was asked whether she would have children if she had to do it all over again.  “Sure”, she responded, ‘Just not the same 3.”  Parenting is not for whimps.  In fact, parenting can be one of the most demanding, yet rewarding responsibilities that we have.  Our children are growing up in a culture that is unlike any one before them.  Modern technology is exposing our kids to the best and worse of all human cultures.  With that said, we as parents and grandparents must be courageous and on our game when loving and leading our children.  First, identify the objective.  We’re given the objective in Genesis 1:27-28 and 2 Corinthians 3:18.  Our responsibility as parents is to raise children who reflect the image of their creator, God.  Next, we need to establish guiding values.  Proverbs 4:5;...

What in your life demands courage?  We all face challenges and situations that call for us to step up rather than stand down.  When it comes to our relationship with God, we must exercise courage.  A great example of a man of courage is found in the Old Testament.  The man’s name is Joshua.  He was responsible for taking over for Moses and leading over 2 million Israelites into the Promise Land.  After assuming the position, he is immediately faced with 2 great challenges.  First, they must cross the Jordan River, which was at flood stage.  Next, they must conquer the city of Jericho, which was one of the most fortified cities in the land.  God simply ask Joshua to be Bold & Courageous.  God then gives Joshua very specific instructions on how to accomplish each task.  He then promised Joshua that He would be with him always.  For those who will courageously obey God’s instructions, God has promised to always be with you also.  Think about this, you are NEVER alone!  In every trial, test, sickness, temptation, heartbreak, etc, you never face it alone.  That should infuse us with the courage to press on and fully obey God’s Word.  But it’s a choice!  Will you choose to live in fear or will you choose to live courageous?

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In Luke 15 we read the story of the Prodigal Son.  The focus is usually on the wayward son who left home and squandered his inheritance in wild living, finally realizes his error, and returns home to find his father waiting to welcome him back to the family.  Yet I think the story is really about a Father’s prodigal love.  The word ‘prodigal’ means ‘recklessly extravagant’.  The Luke 15 story is actually about a Father’s extravagant love for his son, a love that is Unearned, Unconditional, & Unchangeable.  After all the son had put his father through, the worry and heartbreak, we find a loving father actually waiting for the return of his lost son.  There’s no mention of a rebuke or terms and conditions.  The father only speaks of acceptance and celebration.  I’m so thankful that God’s love is not based on our ability to perform – but on God’s ability to give.  “For God so loved the world that He gave…”



Additional Reading:         

Luke 15:11-24

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When Jesus called his first disciples, he didn’t ask them to become Christians, but to simply follow Him.  To listen, watch, learn, and do what He was doing.  He called them to Follow & Fish!  Jesus wanted people who would follow His example passionately, and then go after others and recruit them to become followers also.  You can not be a true follower without becoming a fisherman.  The more we follow Him and are devoted to Him, the more we will want others to experience what we’ve experienced, the same love, grace, and forgiveness we have found.  To be effective in the fishing part, we must go where the fish are.  For so long, we’ve lived in two worlds, the church world, and then our everyday world.  It’s in our everyday world that God wants us to fish.  If you’re going to catch fish, you’ve got to go where the fish hangout.  Jesus set a great example for us in scriptures, always fishing wherever He was.  Whether it was at a well drawing water, at a party with sinners, out in the country, or in the marketplace,...

Jesus’ mission was very simple, to seek and to save the lost.  He spent his life pursuing the mission His father had given him.  Whether it was drawing water from a well, meeting a religious leader in the middle of the night, or at a dinner party with sinners, He was always about the mission.  On the cross, He cried out “It Is Finished”.  He had finished his earthly mission, then in Matthew 28:19-20, He passed that mission on to you and me.  He now empowers us, through His Holy Spirit, to accomplish the mission.  When He called his first disciples, He stated that they would become fishers of men (Mark 1:17).  We get the chance to partner with God in accomplishing the greatest mission on earth.  We get the chance to influence someone’s eternal destiny.  You don’t have to be a preacher or teacher.  You don’t have to know the Bible from cover to cover, or even have all the answers.  God is looking to partner with ordinary people who are willing to be used by Him to touch someone else’s life.  Maybe you’re not good with words.  Perhaps you could do as the woman at the well did after she encountered Jesus (John 4).  She simply ran back to town, and told as many people as she could find, “come see a man who told me everything I ever did”.  We all could tell others to simply come and check out Christ, to see what He did for us.  As the result of her just going and inviting people to come see Christ, the scriptures say “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony”.  What could be the results if we just told others what Christ has done for us?  It’s our mission!

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God is not looking for superstars, but for servants.  We serve God by serving others.  Mark 10:43  There’s a difference between talking about serving and actually serving.  You see, REAL servants make themselves available to serve and pay attention to the needs around them. They do their best with what they have and serve with all their heart!  Real servants keep a low profile.  They don’t promote themselves! 1 Peter 5:5  They don’t draw attention to themselves, but draw attention to God through their acts of service. The greatest example of serving is found in Jesus Christ.  Philippians 2:5-7  He had every right and claim as God, yet he laid it all down to become, of all things, a servant.  One of the last messages and impressions he left with...

One of God’s purposes for our lives is to form us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.  To do that, He will use the teaching of His Word, as well as, people and environments.  However, another way that God shapes us into the image of His Son is through adversity, pain, and suffering.  Paul said that our troubles are achieving something for us.  2 Corinthians 4:17  The Good news is that nothing happens in our life without the Father’s permission.  Everything is ‘Father-Filtered’.  He is able to take any and everything that comes into our lives and use it to accomplish His purpose and bring about good in our lives if we will just be patient and cooperate with Him.  Romans 8:28-29.  In the meantime, believe God is working in your life even if you don’t see or feel anything, be patient with God and yourself ( James 1:4)...

God created & designed us to be a part of His family.  He didn’t need a family, but He desired a family.  As a member of His family, we are entitled to everything He has. Galatians 4:7  The two key conditions to becoming a part of His family is confessing our sins and accepting Christ as our master, and water baptism. Matthew 28:19  If we’re a part of God’s family, we must learn how to love each other.  1 Corinthians 13:3; 14:1.  The best expression of our love is time. 1 John 3:18  The importance of things in our lives is measured by the amount of time...