Devotionals
Praise is Not Merely Your Gift to God; Praise is God’s Gift to You
Praise is a choice, not a feeling. It’s easy to associate emotions with praise, because praise ushers into your life the manifest presence of God, which often prompts deep feelings of gratitude and joy. Praise, however, is not limited by how I feel. In fact, my choice to praise God when I don’t feel like it may be the strongest praise I can offer to God – it says, “Father, You are worthy of praise and I choose to give you praise in spite of my circumstances or feelings.” My worship of… Read More
As Long As You Are In Charge, You Are god.
The Church’s message is not only to be proclaimed, but also lived out. It has been said, “There are five gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and you – and most people never read the first four.” One of the challenges the Church faces in each generation is to speak and live in a way that makes sense to the surrounding culture. Jesus was able to relate to the rich, the poor, young, old, religious, and heathen alike – and He did so without ever compromising the truth. While striving toward cultural… Read More
I Am Stubborn When…
Recently Carrie and I participated in a gathering in which we were asked to “complete the following sentences.” One of the sentences began, “I am stubborn when…” I wrote my answer. Then I asked Carrie what she wrote. We had the same answer, “I am stubborn when I am right.” Haha! The problem is when both of us think we’re right! In 1 Corinthians Paul describes what love really looks like. One of the characteristics of love is: “[Love] does not insist on its own way…”1 Corinthians 13:5 ESV Even when I… Read More
Death by Degrees
Sunday morning during church I was singing to the Lord with my hands held high and my eyes closed. I tend to move a bit when I worship. When I opened my eyes I realized I was no longer facing the worship leader, but had unknowingly turned to the left. Although I don’t think anyone else noticed, I laughed at myself. It’s easy to get off course, and it usually happens incrementally – little by little. If a pilot calibrates his or her course and is off by just a little bit,… Read More
Pay Attention to the Doorposts
Sh’ma Yisra’eil Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad. Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. Next time you enter a Jewish person’s home or business pay attention to the doorway. You will likely see a small, decorative ornament called a mezuzah. Inside of that mezuzah is a small scroll of paper with what is referred to as the Shema (sh-MAH) – the Scripture from Deuteronomy 6:5-9, which begins with the Hebrew word Sh’ma. The mezuzah serves as a physical reminder for Jewish people – every time they enter or leave… Read More
Pastor Dale Jenkins 