Prayers

I know…

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Some act like the sky is falling but I know who hung the stars and named them. Some think their whole world’s coming to an end but I know the God of eternity. Many are paralyzed in fear by what the future holds but I know who holds the future. Times change, God doesn’t. He is faithful.

Regardless of circumstances I’ll be loving my family, teaching them about Jesus, and sharing that Good News with anyone that’ll listen. Till He comes back or I go to Him — “choose this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” – Joshua 24:15

8 WAYS TO BATTLE PRIDE AND CULTIVATE HUMILITY

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Isaiah 66:2 — All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

From Sunday’s Sermon: 8 WAYS TO BATTLE PRIDE AND CULTIVATE HUMILITY + HELPFUL BIBLE REFERENCES

1. See your gifts as God’s gifts. (See James 1:17)

2. Brag on God, not yourself. (See 1Cor 4:7)

3. Read God’s Word (See Psalm 119:105)

4. Say “Lord willing” (See James 4:13-15)

5. Preach the gospel to yourself (See Gal 2:20)

6. Serve others in Christ’s name (See Philippians 2:3-5)

7. Remember that serving, not being served, is how God defines true greatness. (See Mark 10:24-25)

8. Pray (Philippians 4:6)

🚨🏈🙏🏼 THE EVENING BEFORE TWO-A-DAYS: SIX THINGS TO PRAY

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Two-a-days for high school football start TOMORROW! My favorite time of year. I’m a big fan of the sport but also love how it brings communities together and all the good things football uniquely affords young men. If you love HS football and love the Lord, consider praying these 6 things, and more.

🙏🏼 God’s glory — We’re all gifted in differently. Football players have the ability to glorify God through the way they play and who they play for. Pray they play for His glory. 🙌🏼

🙏🏼 Relationships — Scripture teaches that we need each other and football can forge friendships like no other. Pray these young men form a team, a bond and a brotherhood. 🤝

🙏🏼 Life lessons — Hard work, sacrifice, selflessness, courage, commitment and the list goes on and on of the values and character building that football can bring. Pray they don’t miss the opportunity to learn things they can apply well beyond the playing field. 📓

🙏🏼 Gospel conversations — Football, especially in small town Texas, brings a whole lot of people together, a lot more than just players and parents. Pray that we make use of our time together to go beyond causal conversations and talk life, the Lord, eternity and Salvation. ✝️

🙏🏼 Coaches — Coaches go above and beyond in every sport, but football season can be especially taxing on coaches and their families. Pray for an extra measure of God’s grace in sustaining them, that families stay unified, and for a healthy balance that affords both the joy of a job well done, and rest when needed. Also, pray they not get worn out by parents and fans, like us 😅

🙏🏼 Safety — It’s a contact sport! Pray for a season free from injury. And especially in these hot months, pray for overall health of everyone involved. 🏥

I’m so ready and I know a lot of y’all are too! It’s gonna be a great season! All glory to Him!

TXHSFB #AG2G

The God Who Sings

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The LORD your God…he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. – Zephaniah 3:17

I’ve got a high spirited, temperamental 1 year old little boy. Sometimes he gets so worked up over some hurt he’s feeling and there’s no way he can sooth himself. When that happens about the only way I can calm him is to hold him. And if holding him doesn’t work, I sing to him. Right into his little ear. It’s like he feels love through the singing. It calms him like nothing else can.

When the Bible says that God quiets us by his love with loud singing, I imagine it’s something like what I’m doing with my little man. We’re a temperamental people. Full of hurts and frustrations. We can’t sooth ourselves. By faith in Christ I have access to a singing Father, who picks me up and quiets my anxious heart and mind with his love.

Keep lookin’ up, friends. And rest well. We have a loving God who sings.

His love and the cross

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I took this picture out the car window earlier today. The image reminded me that God’s love can be hard to see at times, but the Cross is always there, standing as a constant reminder.
Father in Heaven, please keep us in your love. Help us to be forever reminded, Lord. Thank you for the Cross. In Jesus name, amen.

Choices

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Today, like every day, will be a series of encounters with imperfect people who don’t do things to our liking. When that happens we can get angry, frustrated, and feel superior over others, or we can be patient, remember our own flaws, and share a measure of the grace that God so freely gives to us. #choices

We love because he first loved us. – 1 John 4:19

FOR not FROM…

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But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. – Jeremiah 29:7

Applies so well for followers of Christ today! This isn’t our home, Heaven is. But we’re here for a purpose! To love the people of our communities. Seek good for them. Pray to God for them. And then, in striving for the good of others? We’ll find good for ourselves as well.

🔑 Seek good things FOR others not FROM others. That’s a major shift from the way our (my) hearts typically operate. But according to God’s Word we won’t find the good we desire in trying to take. We’ll find it in striving to give.

Lord, train our hearts to think about what want FOR others, not FROM others. Help us to trust You to provide as we set our sights on being faithful. We love you, Lord. We are thankful. In Jesus name, Amen. 🙏🏼

Praying for Fort Worth

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Such a horrible heartbreaking incident on I35W in Fort Worth this morning. 100 cars involved and 5 fatalities. Hardworking people took out early this morning to get to their jobs, to do their part, and provide for their families and tragically lost their life. Others are barely hanging on to life right now and many are dealing with life changing injuries. Family members of those involved are grieving and sorting through how to deal with the magnitude of it all. It must seem like a bad dream for them.
No doubt the police, firefighters and medics are shook to their core over this. Their job is hard every day, but most haven’t ever dealt with anything like this.

Friends, let’s pray for these people!

Father in Heaven, these folks need your hand of healing and your peace that goes beyond understanding right now. Please bring healing to those who are physically hurt and guard the hearts of all affected. Be with every person dealing with the loss of a loved one or with serious injury.
Lord please comfort the emergency workers. Please speak to their spirit that they did all they could. We thank you for their faithfulness. Help all of us to love each other well, both prayerful and practically. Show us ways to help where we can and remind us to take time to feel the weight of this tragedy and go to our knees on behalf of those impacted.
Lord Jesus, I pray that all would turn to you during something like this. We don’t know why something like this happens. But the cross reminds us that you love us, and the empty tomb reminds us that you’re powerful. Let all involved feel your love and power.
We love you, Lord.
In Jesus name, Amen.

A Divine Story

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“If God is sovereign, then he is in control of all the details of my life. If he is loving, then he is going to be shaping the details of my life for my good. If he is all-wise, then he’s not going to do everything I want because I don’t know what I need. If he is patient, then he is going to take time to do all this. When we put all these things together—God’s sovereignty, love, wisdom, and patience—we have a divine story.” -Paul Miller, A Praying Life

“Follow Me”

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“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. -Jesus, Luke 9:23

“To an unusual degree today, Christians mistakenly think that the freedom of Christian experience means that we no longer need to make any effort to be spiritual. We simply ‘do what we feel,’ and ‘be ourselves’. To live any other way—for example, to set aside definite and sacrificial amounts of money to do the Lord’s work, or to set aside specific time during the day for prayer, engage in deliberate acts of self-denial as we seek the Lord’s face— is seen as ‘legalism’ and ‘bondage.’ Jesus, on the other hand, assumes that these disciplines are basic to any spiritual vitality. And he was no legalist!” -Sinclair Ferguson