Kavanaugh chaos — If you’re a Republican, you may be wondering why should I bother to vote?

September 26, 2018 By Leave a Comment

If you think the debate over Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court feels like an ominous turning point for the nation, you’re not alone.

Here’s a link to the story at Fox News.

Filed Under: Columns

Roger Lipe: Gifts

September 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

G I F T S

http://devotions4competitors.blogspot.com/2012/09/g-i-f-t-s-john-327-what-would-it-be.html

John 3:27

What would it be like to be a record holder in your sport, right at the top of your game, only to watch someone else come along and immediately break all your records with apparent ease?  John the Baptist experienced just such a dynamic, but with a lot more poise than most of us could manage.

We read about it in John chapter 3 and verse 27, “John answered and said, ‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.’”

You may say, “But I earned every point I’ve scored.”  You certainly have, but John knew that the real stuff of life, the things that have the greatest value are gifts from God in heaven.

In John’s case, he is the first man in 400 years to speak with authority from God.  That’s impressive, but along comes his younger cousin and immediately eclipses his whole life.  As the people who watched expected jealousy, John exhibited joy and acknowledged God as the giver of every good gift.

Your gifts are much the same.  Much of the grace given to you is nothing you could ever earn.  It’s a gift, not a merit badge.  The ability to play and the opportunity to compete is a gift to be treasured and for which to be thankful.

As you approach today’s competition, appreciate such gifts, revel in them, and enjoy them to the fullest with a grateful heart.

Filed Under: Columns

Your Daily Prayer: A Prayer for Missing Peace

September 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

A Prayer for Missing Peace – Your Daily Prayer

Your Daily Prayer Devotional Banner

A Prayer for Missing Peace
By Mary Southerland

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  – Philippians 4:7, NIV

I know people who would give every penny they have and every possession they own for an hour of peace. In fact, I have been in that place myself. The difference is that the Prince of Peace is my God and because He lives in my heart, so does peace. Yes, sometimes I allow the stressors of life to crowd in and try to smother that peace. I am so thankful that the peace of God is eternal and beyond human understanding.

As you face the storms of life, face them with God at your side – knowing that He is Lord of the rocking boat and Keeper of the waves. He rides upon the storm clouds of life, flinging peace into the tempest-filled heart.  God is Peace. And when we know Him as our Lord and have made Him the boss of our lives – we will know Peace.

Make a list of every “storm” you are facing today. Surrender each one to God, asking Him to fill its place in your life with His peace. Now, choose to walk in that peace today. When you are tempted to slip back under the crashing waves, remember that the storm now belongs to your Father.

Father God, my heart is filled with chaos and confusion. I feel as if I am drowning in my circumstances and my heart is filled with fear and confusion. I really need the strength and peace that only You can give. Right now, I choose to rest in You.

In Jesus’ Name I pray,

Amen.

Editor’s Note: Content taken from the Girlfriends in God devotional, How to Find Your Missing Peace, written by Mary Southerland. You can read the piece in full here. All rights reserved.

Filed Under: Columns

Pastor Rick Warren: What Kind of Giving Is Worship?

September 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

By Rick Warren

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”Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income” (Proverbs 3:9 TLB).

When I was a little kid I used to buy or make all these little cheesy gifts for my parents. When I look back, the gifts were really lame. But every time I gave my parents a present, they were overjoyed. It wasn’t like they needed anything from me, because they didn’t. They just enjoyed the fact that I thought of them.One time when I was 8 years old, I went into a thrift store and bought my mother a dress for 25 cents. I thought it was a really cool dress. It was about a size four, and my mom was a size 12. The clerk said, “Ricky, your mom couldn’t get her big toe in that dress.” I was so offended and went home crying. When I gave the dress to my mom, she was so thrilled. After she died, I found that dress in one of her dressers. She’d kept it all those years.

There’s nothing you can give God that he needs. But when you give him an offering, you’re saying, “God, I love you. I’m thinking of you. I want you first in my life.”

The Bible says, “Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income” (Proverbs 3:9 TLB). That’s called tithing. Tithing actually means 10 percent, and it’s the first part of your income.

Tithing doesn’t just honor God. It is also an act of worship. But the Bible says that not every kind of giving is an act of worship. So what kind of giving is worship?

“On every Lord’s Day each of you should put aside something from what you have earned during the week, and use it for this offering. The amount depends on how much the Lord has helped you earn” (1 Corinthians 16:2 TLB).

Worship giving is undesignated. That means you don’t control it, you don’t direct it, you don’t tell God what to do with it.

Worship giving is given when and where you worship. You give the first part of your money on the first day of the week and say, “God, you’re first in my life.”

Worship giving is planned. You don’t just give spontaneously. You think it through.

Worship giving is proportional. If you didn’t earn anything this week, you don’t give anything. If you earn a little, you give a little. If you earn a lot, you give a lot.

God wants your heart more than anything else. He doesn’t want your money; he wants what it represents. The most sensitive nerve in the body is the one that goes from the heart to the wallet.

Talk It Over

  • How does your current attitude compare to the kind of attitude you think God wants you to have when you give?
  • What do you find most challenging about viewing giving as an act of worship?
  • What’s your response to Pastor Rick’s statement that “the most sensitive nerve in the body is the one that goes from the heart to the wallet”?

Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.

Filed Under: Columns

New Yorker hit piece on Kavanaugh is not journalism, it’s a bizarre political stage show

September 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

The news that Brett Kavanaugh had a new accuser landed with a thud on Sunday night. That she had told her story to the New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow certainly seemed like the death knell for the Kavanaugh nomination.

Here’s a link to the editorial at Fox News.

Filed Under: Columns

Column: Rauner’s ‘Chris Kennedy moment’ puts a fitting capper on a nasty debate

September 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Unbelievably, tellingly, Gov. Bruce Rauner had a “Chris Kennedy moment” after Thursday evening’s gubernatorial debate at the NBC Tower.

Here’s a link to the editorial at the Chicago Tribune

Filed Under: Columns

Your Daily Prayer: A Prayer for Your Child’s Future Spouse

September 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment

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A Prayer for Your Child’s Future Spouse
By Kristin@DaySpring.com

What if we joined together as a body and committed to pray for the most influential people of our children’s future? Here are three Scriptures and prayers that we can pray together:

Pray for them to develop a strong personal relationship with Jesus.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 CSB

Father, thank You for wooing me to Your heart, just as a husband woos his bride. I pray that my child’s spouse will sense your unconditional love for them and realize their need for You at a young age. Make them a person after Your own heart. Put people in their life who will share the good news of the Gospel with them and model for them what a life led by Christ looks like. Give them the desire to follow You and the courage to say yes to You all the days of their life. May their relationship with You grow stronger day-by-day. Help them to trust You wholeheartedly and to always put You first, even after marriage. Amen.

Pray for them to be able to resist temptation so they can stay pure for their spouse.

“God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 CSB

Father, thank you for the intricate way you have knitted us together in our mother’s womb. You made every part of us with the ability to relate to You and to others. Help my child’s spouse to keep their entire self pure—their body, their mind, and their spirit—as a gift to my child in marriage. Put peers in their lives who value purity and will hold them accountable. Give them role models who are living a life that honors You and honors their spouse. Help them to learn how to rely on You to resist temptation. Show them the way out when it seems too hard to say no. Amen.

Pray for them to experience His redeeming love.

“Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 CSB

Father, thank you for creating us with the capacity to love deeply. We know that relationships begin with the feeling of love, but we know that relationships only flourish by acting in love. You showed us the greatest act of love by sending Jesus to die for the our sins. I pray that my child’s spouse is experiencing Your great love at this very moment. Help them to receive Your redeeming love in a very personal way. Give them a heart that is full of love and ready and willing to forgive the mistakes that will happen their marriage. Show them what it looks like for love to win. Amen.

What a gift we can give to our children by praying for their spouse before we ever meet them.

Editor’s Note: Content taken from the article, 3 Prayers for Your Child’s Future Spouse, written by Kristin@DaySpring.com. You can read the piece in full here. All rights reserved.

Filed Under: Columns

Pastor Rick Warren: God’s Family Helps You Grow as a Disciple

September 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment

By Rick Warren —

661

“[Christ’s] body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole Body is healthy and growing and full of love” (Ephesians 4:16 NLT).

God doesn’t want you to remain a spiritual baby. He says, “Grow up! I don’t want you to be a spiritual infant all your life. I want you to become like Christ. I want you to grow.”But here’s the catch: You can’t do it on your own. Babies don’t just grow up on their own. They need a family of some kind. And you need a spiritual family, just like you needed someone to help you grow up when you were young physically.

The Bible says, “[Christ’s] body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole Body is healthy and growing and full of love” (Ephesians 4:16 NLT).

My job as a pastor is to make sure the people in my church grow. It’s the job of all of our pastors, leaders, Bible study teachers, and small group leaders. In fact, the Bible says this about these people: “Their purpose is to prepare God’s people to serve and to build up the body of Christ . . . until we become mature, until we measure up to Christ, who is the standard” (Ephesians 4:12-13 GW). At Saddleback Church, we are always thinking about this. “How can we help them grow, Lord?”

The Bible has a word for this growth. It’s called discipleship. Discipleship is the process of growth from a spiritual baby to a spiritual adult. It means you’re maturing in your faith. You’re getting stronger. You’re developing some muscle.

So how can you grow as a disciple?

The Bible tells us in Acts 2 how disciples grew in the first church: “Those who believed . . . were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. . . . They worshiped together regularly at the Temple each day, met in small groups in homes for Communion, and shared their meals with great joy and thankfulness” (Acts 2:41-42, 46 NLT/TLB).

First you believe. Then you get baptized. And it’s important that you choose a church family and participate in large group worship and small group fellowship. Learn from your leaders in the church. Learn from your peers. Commit to growing spiritually as a disciple and a member of the body of Christ.

Talk It Over

  • What has kept you (or still keeps you) from getting connected to a church family?
  • How have you grown as a disciple when you’ve been connected to the body of Christ?
  • Why do you think God wants other people to play a role in your spiritual growth?

Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it

Filed Under: Columns

Editorial: Ford’s accusations against Kavanaugh reveal big problem in media

September 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment

In a nation where every major issue ends up in the Supreme Court, it only makes sense a nomination to that court has turned into political combat. And the media love it.

Here’s a link the editorial at Fox News.

Filed Under: Columns

Editorial: A prompt investigation, then a vote on Kavanaugh

September 21, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Federal Judge Brett Kavanaugh was on the Republican-smoothed glide path to becoming Justice Kavanaugh of the Supreme Court. Then his confirmation process was upended by a sexual assault allegation dating to his junior year of high school. The issue now is how to handle a serious accusation about a long-ago incident in a politically charged atmosphere.

Here’s a link to the editorial at Chicago Tribune.

Filed Under: Columns
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