Glory in God's Workmanship

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10

I have a couple of brother-in-laws who are very gifted in woodworking. They have made beautiful furniture, household accessories, and more. They love working with the wood and have the patience to make each piece special. Each item they create has a purpose and as they work on the project, they keep the end purpose in mind to its completion.

The Great Artist God did the same thing as he made us. Each of us is specially made by his patient hands with the goal of belonging to Jesus Christ and using our gifts and talents for his purposes. It was planned out before we were born and is being lived out in our lives to its completion.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for the workmanship you have done in my life giving me purpose in Jesus Christ. I pray that I allow you to work in and through me today as we journey together. Amen

Faith Tip: When you come across something today that took a lot of work and patience, consider how you are specially made by God for a great purpose.

 Written by Kathy Bruins

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; - Romans 3:23-24

Tearing the piece of bread from the loaf, I heard the familiar words, “This is Christ’s body, broken for you.” And as I dunked the piece into the cup, the reminder given to me was, “The blood of Christ spilled for you.”

The act of communion is so important to Jesus, because he does not want us to forget. We are not to forget the great sacrifice made, but also that the price was paid for our freedom in Christ. We tend to remember the sacrifice, but sometimes forget that we are free to live holy lives, and we still act like we are under Satan’s reign.

This Advent season, reopen the gift of your freedom in Christ and enjoy the riches that are meant for you. This is the best deal of the season for you and someone you love.

Prayer: Jesus, I thank you for the wonderful gift of freedom you have given me though the price was great to you. Your love for me is the perfect fit for each day of my life, and I pray that I can focus on you rather than what the world has to offer. Amen

Faith Tip: Each day during Advent, starting with today, find a new freedom you have in Christ and enjoy it to the glory of God.

Written by Kathy Bruins

Thanksgiving in Word and Action

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. – Colossians 3:17

In this passage Paul is urging the Colossians to give thanks to God in all they do and say.  That is a difficult concept to grasp.  It is easy for us to understand giving thanks before a meal, during our times of prayer, when we are abundantly blessed and when we are happy and content in life, but it is much more difficult for us to understand how to give thanks in all that we do and say.  What does it look like to give thanks when we are shopping for groceries, driving a car, or changing a baby’s diaper?  What does it look like to give thanks when we are talking to a phone salesperson, talking in a business meeting, or asking someone for directions?  

To understand what Paul is talking about, we have to look at the middle part of the verse where it says, “do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”  When we are living our life for the Lord then everything we do and say is an act of thanksgiving in God’s eyes.  When we are living our lives for ourselves than our actions and words are not giving thanks to God.  Give all your life to the Lord and let every action you do and every word you speak be a gift of thanksgiving to God.

Prayer:  Thank you God for sending Jesus Christ to be an example of how you want me to live my life.  Forgive me when I live my life in selfish ways.  May all I do and say be done in the name of Jesus as a thanksgiving to you. Amen.

Faith Tip:  Today, as we celebrate Thanksgiving, think about how your actions and words are a thanksgiving to God.       

Written by Pastor Aaron Anderson

Thanksgiving in Song

Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 5:19-20

Do you ever get a song stuck in your head that kind of goes with you throughout the day?  I enjoy it when the song that goes with me is a song of praise, because it helps me focus on the Lord all day long.  Maybe that is what Paul is referring to when he speaks about “songs from the Spirit.”

When we think of giving thanks we often picture our thanksgivings in the forms of prayers.  However Paul tells us that we can also give thanks to the Lord when we sing and make music from our hearts.  The ability to sing is a gift from the Lord and our songs, no matter how well we sing, is our gift of thanksgiving to God.  So this Thanksgiving give thanks to the Lord with a song.

Prayer:  Thank you Lord for giving me the ability to praise and thank you in song.  Let my heart sing for all the blessings that you have given to me.  May my song be a joyful noise to you ears.  Amen.

Faith Tip: Plan to come and worship on Thanksgiving morning at 9:00am where we will have the opportunity to sing many Thanksgiving songs.  

Written by Pastor Aaron Anderson

Enter With Thanksgiving

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. – Psalm 100:4

Psalm 100 was originally used in worship of the Lord as the worshippers entered the temple courts through the gates.  It helped focus the worshippers’ hearts on thanksgiving and praise as they entered into a time of worship.  Thanksgiving is a wonderful way to enter into worship!

Psalm 100 provides us with wisdom of how we should enter not only worship, but all aspects of our life.  Think of how much better things would go if we entered into everything with an attitude of gratitude.  All you need to do is apply the first part of verse 4 to your situations in life.  For example, enter your day with thanksgiving…  Enter your week with thanksgiving…Enter your meal with thanksgiving…Enter your work with thanksgiving…Enter your family with thanksgiving…Enter your leisure time with thanksgiving…Enter your bedtime with thanksgiving.   When we enter into everything with thanksgiving it will invariably lead us to praise of worship of the Lord.

Prayer:  Thank you Lord for the life that you have given to me.  May I live my life in thanksgiving to you.  Help me to enter into everything I do with a heart of thanksgiving.  Amen. 

Faith Tip:  Today as you begin a new task or go from one place to another, remember Psalm 100:4 and enter with a heart of thanksgiving.     

Written By Pastor Aaron Anderson       

Overflowing Abundance

You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. – Psalm 65:11

Last night our churched gathered together for our annual Harvest Celebration. The main portion of the celebration included the bringing of our abundance offerings.  This offering represents the abundant blessings that God has given to us throughout the year.  I am not one who sheds tears easily, but as young and old alike walked to the cross to give of their offerings it almost brought tears to my eyes.  What a beautiful sight!  God is so good and certainly blesses us abundantly!

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week we will definitely celebrate with abundance.  Many will enjoy an abundance of turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie.  Houses will be filled with an abundance of family.  Football fans will watch an abundance of football.  Airports will be overflowing with an abundance of travelers.  In this country we live in abundance compared to many others around the world.

As Americans we certainly have a lot to be thankful for.  As we look back over the year we can certainly see how the Lord has crowned the year with his bounty and how his carts overflow with abundance.  This Thanksgiving give thanks for the abundant blessings that the Lord has given!

Prayer:  I give you thanks, O Lord, for your abundant blessings.  Let me never forget what you have done for me.  I will give thanks to you and praise your name forever.  Amen.

Faith Tip:  As you celebrate Thanksgiving, be aware of the abundant blessings the Lord has given you and thank God for his abundant love, grace and mercy.

Written by Pastor Aaron Anderson

God Says Yes

Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God's Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete. – 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 The Message

I remember making some homemade bread from a book I purchased that had beautiful pictures of all different kinds of loaves. There were step by step instructions including the mixing, kneading, raising and baking. The implied promise was for a beautiful loaf of bread just like in the picture. Didn’t happen. I believe I did all the steps correctly, but what came out of the oven was more like a manhole cover than loaf. It did smell good though, so I’m grateful for the aromatherapy.

Life can be like that, can’t it? You think you are doing the right thing, making the right choices, and the expected implied promise of the world is that life will be free from trouble. All of us know that isn’t really true. Jesus said we would have trouble. He being the Son of God and was perfect had trouble, why wouldn’t we?

We do have a guarantee with God. It is “a sure thing” when we are in Christ that we will have eternal life. Nothing in this life will come between us and God and the fulfillment of that promise.

Prayer: Jesus, I thank you that our future is guaranteed with you because of your sacrifice on the cross. I pray that I can be mindful of the gift you have given, and open to sharing with others who need to hear the story. Amen

Faith Tip: Think about the promises you depend on in this life and contrast them to the promise you have in Christ. Which one do you serve more?

Written by Kathy Bruins

It's All for God

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, - Colossians 3:23

I remember as a child doing schoolwork believing that whoever did it the fastest did it best. I still see children trying to rush through their homework not only to just get it done, but to show they are good at it. We all know what happens when we rush through things; mistakes are made. Even as adults, we try to cross the next thing off our “to do” list perhaps to show how competent we are and the amount of things we can get done in a day. Rushing through any task will cause errors.

In the things we are called to do, or make a choice to do, we need to have God involved in it. Our work is more than slapping something together and calling it good. Thankfully, that’s not how God creates. God put great love into all of his work. If the Lord is in what we do, all we do should be for him.

Prayer: God, I thank you for all the things you have for me to do each day. I pray that I not rush through them and take pleasure in serving you through these tasks. Amen

Faith Tip: Invite God to join you in all you do and experience the joy of serving God fully.

Written by Kathy Bruins

Relationship vs. Knowledge

…and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3:19

BINGO! Isn’t it fun when you’re the one yelling it? Bingo is a nice, easy game that most people can play. There are other games that can stretch us painfully mentally like Jeopardy, Trivia Pursuit (before you have the answers memorized) and others that seem to measure how much knowledge we have. I, for one, am always excited when I can answer one question among the many tough ones asked. My husband, however, excels at these types of questions for he has a great interest in history and geography, but don’t ask him about the great classic movies … that’s my department.

Aren’t we glad that it doesn’t take being a rocket scientist to be in the family of God? His love is more than facts and figures. It is a relationship … a relationship God started for he first loved us. To be filled with God takes being in relationship with him. As we spend time with the Creator of the universe, God will show us amazing things mostly about who he is and who we are to him. God’s love is more powerful than any amount of knowledge. That’s a fact you can depend on.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I do thank you for your love that is greater than all things. I pray that I may enjoy our relationship today and allow you to work through me. Amen

Faith Tip: If you are feeling unworthy because you believe you lack the knowledge to do anything for God, bask in the great love he has for you and allow him to work through you. God has great plans for you.

Written by Kathy Bruins

Knowing the Rules or the Ruler

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. – 2 Corinthians 3:6

I have found over the years that people seem to have their own set of rules for the game Monopoly. It’s usually nothing drastic, but just putting their own spin on the game to make it more enjoyable for them. However, when participating in a Monopoly tournament, there are only one set of rules that is dictated by the judge of the event.

Our Christian life is somewhat like that as we read God’s word and interpret it through our life and experiences. We are blessed with spiritual leaders to help us discern God’s truth, but it is the Holy Spirit himself that tells us the right way to go. Being confident in our daily walk is a gift; it is life giving. Jesus desires us to be free through the Spirit. If we thoroughly follow the law, which we can’t fully do being human, and don’t follow the Spirit, we imprison ourselves.

God, Jesus and the Spirit know the law frontwards and backwards. They created it. They will not steer us in a wrong direction but keep us on the right path.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for your word and all it has meant to us. I pray that I may seek and follow your Spirit every moment. Amen

Faith Tip:  Knowing the Spirit of God is important. If you haven’t kept in touch lately, make time to spend together.

Written by Kathy Bruins

Let's Go Over It Again

So do not fear, for I am with you; 
   do not be dismayed, for I am your God. 
I will strengthen you and help you; 
   I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10

 Time and time again, I find myself worrying and being fearful about one thing or another. I can’t control most of the circumstances and I think that’s what causes my fear. I can’t fix it. I have no other choice than to trust God.

It seems that when God has a message that he wants us to fully understand and not forget, it will be in the Bible repeatedly. God talks a lot about fear in the Scriptures. He knew that we would soon forget and easily become fearful from life’s circumstances. Humanly speaking, it is very difficult if not impossible not be fearful at one time or another. It can be fearful just to read the newspaper or watch the news. But God wants us to know, understand, live out and trust that he is with us and will uphold us even during the darkest times.

Prayer: Jesus, you are the one I can trust with everything in my life. I pray that I can walk confidently trusting you today. Amen

Faith Tip: What has put fear in your heart today? Is it a control issue? Hand it over to God to deal with it. Is there anyone more capable?

Written by Kathy Bruins

Me...a Priest?

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. – 1 Peter 2:9

Knocking on the door of the run down building, Kim took a step back when it was opened by a woman who looked as worn as the structure. A hard life was written all over her face.

“Yes?” she said.

Kim stammered for words. “Hi, my name is Kim and I come from the church down the street. We are having some great activities coming up that we thought the community would be interested in, so I’m here to give you some information.”

The woman took the paper and said thanks. She began to turn away from the door when she stopped and turned back to Kim.

“I see you have a quilting group. I remember my mother making beautiful quilts. I always wanted to learn, but never got around to it.”

“Well, I’m part of the quilting group and it really is a great group of ladies. I would love to have you come and join us. We will show you how to quilt.”

The woman smiled. “I may just do that. Thank you!”

********

Kim was Jesus with skin on. She showed care to the woman who obviously needed a kind word of encouragement. We sometimes think we have to have a special “ministry job” to do the work of Christ, but we already have the role as a priest. That may seem daunting, but God called us as his special possession to go out and shine his love to those we come in contact with on a daily basis. As we have been called out of darkness, we are to help others receive that same blessing.

Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, that you gave me hope in times of darkness. I pray that I shine your light on the darkness I see and help others find their way to you. Amen

Faith Tip: Consider your role as a priest and what that means in your daily walk.

Written by Kathy Bruins

Huh?

That’s why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn’t stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength! – Ephesians 1:15-19 MSG

“You want me to do what?” This is usually my response to God as he asks me to once again go outside the box. It doesn’t make any sense to me most of the time. For example, I was giving a talk a few years ago and as I was going over it, the Lord impressed on my heart to share a very personal part of my life. We wrestled until 4 a.m., but you know who won. The Lord always wins one way or another. As I gave my talk, my knees were shaking as I got closer to “the part.” As I started to reveal this section of my life, one woman ran out of the room, and afterwards, three other women let me know they were going through the same thing right now and how my words gave them hope. I didn’t have a clue that these women were suffering. If one would have said she was helped, that would have been enough, but God knew all along what these women needed to hear. From this experience, my ministry has grown to women.

What are we missing when we say no to God because his call doesn’t make sense to us? As we grow to know him more intimately, we will know his voice and trust it. It will be clear to follow his direction confidently and to experience the wonderful work of his hands through us.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the gentle and not-so-gentle nudges you give me when you are ready to do something through me. I pray for clarity that it is from you and that my answer will always be yes. Amen

Faith Tip: Do you feel the nudge of God today to do something out of the box? Pray for discernment, and if you feel it is from God, say yes.

Written by Kathy Bruins

Beware of Easy Answers

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. – 1 Peter 5:8-9

 

When life is hard and full of challenge, we want a quick fix … even thinking that today would be a good day for the Lord to return. However, that’s usually not the answer and most challenges can’t be overcome by a quick fix. It is during these times when we are most vulnerable to temptation. There’s an offer to get you out of your challenge, if you do this or that. We need to discern if the offer is of God or of the enemy. What is the big picture?

There are many lessons that God wants to teach us and sometimes it is through the struggles in life that the lessons come. If we choose to accept an offer that perceives to end our challenge, are we refusing the lesson from God?

Pray about what God would have you do in the midst of trouble. He hasn't left you alone to figure it out for yourself. He is journeying with you and has the answer that is perfect.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for continually helping me grow in my spiritual walk. I pray that I only look to you for answers of my struggles and not a quick fix. Amen

Faith Tip: Are you struggling in an area of your life and want to get rid of the stress and worry? Beware that you do not fall prey to Satan and his temptations and reach out to Jesus for help.

 

Written by Kathy Bruins