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Daily Devotional

Latest Blog Posts in July 2012

Be God - Tuesday

Posted on Tue, Jul 31, 2012

Romans 12:16b

...don’t think you know it all! 
 
When I was 18, I was pretty confident I knew all there was to know about everything. My track coach used to describe me as "a legend in his own mind." I thought it was tongue-in-cheek. But twenty-some years later, I wonder: was he serious? Did my cocky, know-it-all attitude really show? I certainly carried some of this thinking into my walk with God in the early days. Maybe you can identify with me. Have you ever noticed this thought milling around in your brain: “God is getting a pretty good deal having me on His team.” We would like to assume we are extremely significant to the Kingdom. Or we would be if God understood what we could do for Him. When we step back, however, our sense of inflated importance seems rather silly. When did we forget the fact God is bigger? Smarter? Greater than every superlative we can imagine? In Romans 12 we’re reminded not to think we know it all. That's good advice because, well, we just don’t know it all. We’re limited. Small. We make mistakes. So, wisdom would dictate we let God be God and realize we are not. With this attitude, it's amazing how things tend to fall into their proper place.
  • Are you "a legend in your mind"? How so? 
  • What is one situation you can completely release control of this week? Pray for God to move in the situation in a way that's bigger and more powerful than you ever could!

Memorize Psalm 46:10a this week. 

Be still, and know that I am God! 

Will Briggs
Care Pastor

Be God - Monday

Posted on Mon, Jul 30, 2012

Galatians 5:22-23

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
 
In his book Your God is Too Safe, author Mark Buchanan tells the story of a psychologist who was treating three men who were suffering from the same psychotic disorder. Each of them claimed they were Jesus. Leon, Joseph, and Clyde each believed they were born to be the savior of the world. Once, when one of them claimed, “I was sent to save the earth,” the doctor inquired why he thought this was so. The patient replied, “God told me.” To which one of the other patients instantly objected, “I never told you any such thing!”
 
A messiah complex often isn’t this severe. But it is quite possible for us to suffer the same delusion. Do you ever think that if you don’t do what needs to be done - at home, at work, at church - then the world will fall apart? Our messiah complex presents itself by our insistence on calling the shots because, somewhere deep inside, we feel no one else can do it as well as we could. We subtly set ourselves up as the savior of everyone around us. It’s as though we believe the world will go to hell in a handbasket if we don’t step up. We aren’t the Messiah, but we are called to be more like Jesus. How can you leave controlling behavior behind and take up a truly Christ-like, servant attitude in your home, work, or church?
  • We read in John 1:14 that God became flesh and moved into the neighborhood. We have a God who isn’t afraid to get His hands dirty and who actively loves people. How might you imitate His example?

Memorize Psalm 46:10a this week. 

Be still, and know that I am God! 

Will Briggs
Care Pastor

Reject Wisdom - Friday

Posted on Fri, Jul 27, 2012

James 3:17

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
 
This week, we’ve learned a little of what the Bible has to say about wisdom. I've saved my favorite passage on wisdom for last. I feel it gives us a checklist of qualities through which we can run advice and information to determine whether the source is wisdom or just words and opinions. This list stirs me inside. Wisdom’s description in this passage sounds an awful lot like a description of our great God. We need this kind of wisdom in the world, because wisdom serves as a conveyor belt for the very character of God. When we reject wisdom, we reject a chance to reflect and reveal who God really is to a world silently starving for a better way to do life. We have that better way of life. The message is simple: “Do life God’s way!” The application of this truth poses difficulties for each of us every day. I have recently been experiencing the removal of a gnarly weed buried deep in my heart. Picture “Little Shop of Horrors” meets “Honey I Blew Up the Kids” and that’s what we have on our hands! No amount of words will dig this thing out. I need wisdom from God which will do something about this and give me the tools to pull this thing out without completely destroying my heart. I need God’s wisdom and so do you. To reject wisdom will leave me unchanged, and that does not sound good to me. Don’t reject wisdom, let wisdom do the work it was meant to do in your life. I’m expecting fertile ground to be left perfectly tilled for something better to be planted once God helps me pull this weed out. Heeding God’s wisdom can get me to that place; rejecting God’s wisdom leaves the weed. Which would you rather choose?
  • Which one of these characistics of wisdom needs the most cultivation in your life?
  • Pray for God to show you how to possess more purity, peace, consideration, submission, mercy, or good fruit. 

Memorize Proverbs 9:10 this week. 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Amanda Carter
Worship Leader

Reject Wisdom - Thursday

Posted on Thu, Jul 26, 2012

Proverbs 18:4

The words of the mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.
 
Have you ever floated in a pool alone? Once situated on the float, you really move very little. With no current, you just stay put unless the wind blows, you row your arms, or someone comes by and does a cannonball over your head. Now, have you ever floated down a lazy river? Still not too much action, but direction and current move you where you need to be. Today’s passage clarifies the distinction between a lot of words and wisdom. Many times wisdom stands in direct contrast to lots of words. Some of the wisest people I know communicate the most by saying the least. This verse describes the words of the mouth as deep waters, and then contrasts that with wisdom which is a rushing stream. In a nutshell, wisdom moves and has direction and current. The words of our mouth however, just accumulate and never move. Why does this matter? I once had a “run in” with stagnant water from a well. Mixed into our Kool-aid, all of us on the mission trip began dropping like flies. Let’s just say the long trek home from South Dakota involved several trash bags and lots of open windows. Stagnant water breeds disease. A flowing current keeps water clean. I think it’s easy for many of us to conclude from experience that people who say a whole lot usually end up going “viral” in a negative way, much more than people who speak with wisdom. Wisdom can change a course, because wisdom with God as it’s source brings movement and current to a life. So, are you floating in the pool, hanging out on a bunch of accumulated words, or riding the currents of wisdom? Whatever you do, just don’t drink the Kool-aid!
  • Ask God to give you real wisdom this week, not just knowledge! 

Memorize Proverbs 9:10 this  week. 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Amanda Carter
Worship Leader

Reject Wisdom - Wednesday

Posted on Wed, Jul 25, 2012

Proverbs 2:1-11

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
 
As I read today’s passage, I noticed wisdom demands pursuit. Notice the active verbs of the father to his son as he describes obtaining and preserving wisdom. He instructs him saying turning your ear to wisdom… applying your heart to understanding… call out for insight… cry aloud for understanding… look for it as silver… search for it as hidden treasure. Based on this passage, wisdom appears to be a journey. Like something you find and search for as though you were searching for a treasure. This pursuit strongly contrasts the idea of rejecting wisdom we’re unpacking this week. If you rejected wisdom you'd have a completely different list. That list might read, Turn your ear away from wisdom, apply your heart to finding your own way, don’t ask for help, figure it out yourself. Don’t look for wisdom, wait for wisdom to find you. Somehow, this list, while definitely more independent, seems doomed to failure. Notice the words later in the passage which describe those who have gone after wisdom. They become “faithful,” “upright,” “blameless,” and “just.” In return for the pursuit of wisdom we see God respond to the seeker with some unexpected bonuses. We see God hold success in store for those who pursue wisdom and we see Him be their shield, guard and protector. How fitting! It makes sense that wisdom from God would act as a “bodyguard” for our lives. When we have His wisdom and pursue His ways, we receive the protection of simply having access to the mind of Him who created everything we experience. Without the protection of God as a result of heeding His wisdom, we may be independent and able to do what we want, but we also proceed unguarded. As God does many times, He gives us a choice. His ways or our own? 
  • Reflect on times you’ve chosen your own wisdom over God’s. How could the outcome have been different if you had chosen God’s way? 

Memorize Proverbs 9:10 this week. 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Amanda Carter
Worship Leader

Reject Wisdom - Tuesday

Posted on Tue, Jul 24, 2012

James 3:13-17

 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
 
The question which begins the Scripture reading passage today provides a good litmus test of how much we’ve surrounded ourselves with wisdom. It asks, “Who is wise and understanding among you?” I think this question assumes two things. One, it assumes there are wise and understanding people among those being addressed. Two, it assumes there is something about those we'd consider to be wise which sets them apart from those around them. There is something identifiable about the wise. I ask you the same question today. Who around you is wise and understanding? From experience, I can say that if you surround yourself with wise people, your life will be lived more wisely. Many times, I have been spared from negative outcomes simply by listening to good counsel. But what is good counsel, and how do we know if someone is wise according to God’s litmus test for wisdom? The passage goes on to describe the wise and understanding by stating they should “show [their wisdom and understanding] by their good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom.” If humility comes from wisdom, then why do so many claim wisdom or knowledge as something that sets them above everyone else? As the passage goes on to explain, it’s because there are two versions of wisdom. The wisdom from God and worldly wisdom, and they differ at one critical point: humility. Verse 16 says, “For wherever you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” The wisdom which is true wisdom puts its money where its mouth is, so to speak. A wise person will not just say wise things, he or she will do wise things. Let this be how we determine “who is wise and understanding among [us].”
  • Who is "wise and understanding" in your life? Go ask them to share their wisdom with you this week. 
  • Who can you be "wise and understanding" for? Make yourself available to that person this week.

Memorize Proverbs 9:10 this week. 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Amanda Carter
Worship Leader

Reject Wisdom - Monday

Posted on Mon, Jul 23, 2012

James 3:13-17

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
 
I Googled the question, “What makes someone wise?” What I expected to find was major sarcasm mixed with some philosophical mumbo jumbo. What I found, however, surprised me. Here are a few of the responses: It is not knowing, it is seeing. Someone who is bound by truth, and lives it. The biggest fool may be the one that has more wisdom than most and doesn't use it. A doer of wisdom is a wise one. A smart man knows that a tomato is a fruit - a wise man knows not to put it in a fruit salad. Someone is wise when even though things appear to be good, they are still cautious and consider the outcome of everything they do before they do it, basically thinking stuff through. 
 
Some of the other responses listed themes such as time, good judgment and applying what you know. Not once did I find a response about wisdom which contained hints of negativity. Wisdom seems desirable across political, social, racial, and economical lines. How interesting! We all seem to value wisdom. If that’s the case, then why are so many lives messed up? My answer would be that we pursue the wrong wisdom from the wrong source and then we end up in a place devoid of wisdom. Proverbs describes wisdom this way, “...wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her… The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 8:11; 9:10) Based on these passages, the pursuit of wisdom is worthwhile and it begins by respecting and giving proper position to the LORD God in our lives. If we do not want to reject wisdom, this is a good place to start. We have to allow God to sit in the number one position in our lives. This is the beginning of true wisdom.
  • In what areas of your life do you see yourself either consciously or unconsciously rejecting or devaluing wisdom?
  • In what areas of your life do you need wisdom? 

Memorize Proverbs 9:10 this week. 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Amanda Carter
Worship Leader

Isolate Yourself - Friday

Posted on Fri, Jul 20, 2012

Ecclesiastes 4:12

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

So what is the secret to not isolating yourself? Find a friend and then invest yourself in the friendship. There is a special sense of peace which comes when you have the warmth of a friendship built on solid respect, genuine caring, and trust. This can only be found through being deeply connected to others. The best part is: you get to be a part of someone else’s life and, in return, they get to be part of your life and a gift back to you! I have friends like this. And, just as we find it described in Ecclesiastes 4:12, there are times we have stood back to back as we have gone into battle for one another. We would never allow one another to be isolated. We have been through thick and thin and found, together and with God, we can conquer any obstacle in our path. God has sent me amazing friends. Pray for the friends you already have, or ask God to show you the way into such friendships.
  • Are you the kind of friend who is willing to go to battle for others?
  • Do you have friends who would go to battle for you?
Memorize Psalm 63:6-8 this week.
I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.

Kim Pascual
Executive Assistant

Isolate Yourself - Thursday

Posted on Thu, Jul 19, 2012

Psalm 139:7 

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!
 
If you've ever wondered if you were alone, read Psalm 139 over and over again until it sinks in: God is with us every second of every day. Verse 7 says, I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!  I don’t know about you, but this is comforting to me. I would challenge you to go find a quiet area of your home, office or wherever you spend time with God. Before you even begin to read this Psalm, I want you to quiet your spirit and mind and invite God in to share this time with you. Ask Him to help you fully feel His presence in the same way David did in Psalm 139. Then, you will realize you are not isolated, even when you're "alone". He's always with you. Forever.
  • In Hebrews 13:5 God says, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” What does this mean to you?
  • How would you describe the growing confidence of knowing God will never leave you isolated and alone?
Memorize Psalm 63:6-8 this week.
I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.

Kim Pascual
Executive Assistant

Isolate Yourself - Wednesday

Posted on Wed, Jul 18, 2012

2 Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

I have to admit, one of the reasons I sometimes isolate myself is fear. I retreat into isolation out of fear of hoping for anything better. But when we let this kind of fear bully us, we are essentially saying to God, "You aren’t big enough to help me, so I think I’ll just stay over here all by myself where it is safe." In her book Having a Mary Spirit, Joanna Weaver writes, My deepest fear is waking up twenty years from now still the same woman I am today. With the same annoying habits and petty attitudes; with the same besetting sins and false beliefs. I can’t imagine anything more terrible than getting to the end of my life only to discover that God had so much more in mind for me - more freedom, more joy, more peace, more true effectiveness. And I had missed it all, simply because I refused to change. God gives us so much more through relationship with Himself and others than we can find when we live a fearfully isolated life.
  • What does God want to change in your life to help you live out your potential?
Memorize Psalm 63:6-8 this week.
I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.

Kim Pascual
Executive Assistant

Isolate Yourself - Tuesday

Posted on Tue, Jul 17, 2012

Isaiah 49:16a

See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
 
Isolation and solitude are two very different things. Solitude is a time I set aside to be with God when I can withdraw from all the noise, personal interactions, and busyness of everyday life. Isolation, however, is a more undersirable state of living apart from God-given community. For solitude, I have an oversized chair and ottoman at home where I like to curl up and just get quiet so I can listen and talk with God. I don’t feel like I have to be doing anything in particular when I set aside time there. It’s the time when my spirit and God’s Spirit are fully engaged. I get to be completely open and honest. I'm free to fully give myself over to Him. I know He already knows everything about me but there is something to be said about speaking it to Him. Ruth Haley Barton put it best when she said, "There are few places where the soul is truly safe, where the knowing, the questions, the longings of the soul are welcomed, received and listened to rather than evaluated, judged or beaten out of us." And, interestingly enough, I find when I get this solitude, I am empowered to leave isolation behind and experience the joys of the community with which God has blessed me.
  • Do you carve out time with God to just be with Him?
  • If not, how can you make it a priority to do so?
Memorize Psalm 63:6-8 this week.
I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.  Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.  I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.

Kim Pascual
Executive Assistant

Isolate Yourself - Monday

Posted on Mon, Jul 16, 2012

Galatians 6:2

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

Sometimes I just don’t want to share my burdens, my secrets, and my struggles with anyone. I want to keep them hidden for safekeeping. I hate to admit it, but I'm the kind of person who tends to withdraw and keep to myself when I am dealing with difficulties. I convince myself and others, “Oh, that’s my way of processing information!” However, while there are times I do process information by getting quiet and thinking things through, many times it's just an excuse for wanting to isolate myself.
 
Our verse today reminds us we are obeying Jesus by sharing each other's burdens. When I’m isolating myself, I'm subtly avoiding exactly what this scripture is advising me to do. We all need to have good, Godly, trustworthy friends who will share our burdens. And whose burdens we help to bear. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.  I have found a few close friends who will not allow me to isolate myself during hard times. God knows exactly what we need when we need it and I’m thankful for the friendships He has placed in my life.
  • Do you intentionally isolate yourself?
  • Do you have a few Godly friends that you can share your burdens with?
Memorize Psalm 63:6-8 this week.
I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.  Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.  I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.

Kim Pascual
Executive Assistant

Let Success Consume You - Friday

Posted on Fri, Jul 13, 2012

2 Chronicles 31:21

In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.

The success God wants for you is found when you seek Him with your whole heart. But have you ever felt like you were seeking God and He was just not speaking to you? At times, I would love for God to just tell me what He wants me to do... but He doesn’t. He’s silent. Still, I believe God does speak to us. But for some strange reason we don’t listen, don’t believe, or don’t obey. And after a while God just stops talking and waits for us. He awaits our realization that what He says is true and worthy of believing and obeying. It's as though God and I have been having this long conversation about seeking Him. He tells me to seek Him, I try for a while, fail by following my own path, then God waits for me, I repent, try again, and the cycle continues.  

You see, God is a relational God. He created us to know Him. It's kind of like a dating relationship. Just as we want to be pursued, God desires to be pursued. He wants to reveal His truth, His desires for us, His provision for us. He wants us to find it. It’s there in His word, in creation, in our time alone with the Father. It gives Him pleasure to see His children looking for Him. He’s never far out of reach. Again: the success God wants for you is found when you seek Him with your whole heart.

Memorize James 4:10 this week. 

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. 

Rodney Kern
Facilities Team

Let Success Consume You - Thursday

Posted on Thu, Jul 12, 2012

James 4:2

You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.
 
I have a friend from high school named Donnie. Donnie was two years younger than me, smarter and more talented. Everything I accomplished through hard work came naturally to him. To say I was jealous is an understatement. My senior year I worked incredibly hard to achieve the elusive first chair in the band, but lost it to Donnie. In fact I came in fourth behind a junior and freshman as well. This was extremely frustrating.
 
Finally I graduated and went off to college. Two years later, Donnie showed up. He managed to survive band camp, completed his class registration, and it seemed he was ready to make his mark. But then, the morning of the first day of class, Donnie’s parents showed up and began packing up his stuff. I asked his parents about it and they said, “He’s just not ready to be away from home.” He planned to get a job at Applebee’s. I could have just let him go but I felt compelled to explain to his parents that this would be a huge mistake. I encouraged them to help him stick it out for at least one semester. Then, if he still wanted to go home, so be it. Donnie stayed. And he succeeded. While my jealousy never really went away, it faded over time. What I had to sort out is the fact God didn’t create me to be Donnie. He created me to be me. I can never be successful in this life unless I can grasp the concept that God created me to be unique.
 
A few weeks ago I learned Donnie received his Ph.D. and is now a professor. The old feelings of jealousy returned briefly. But then I also learned Donnie has given his life to Christ and is learning to follow Him. My jealousy turned to excitement for him and his family. I pray God can use him in the unique way he was created, just as He is using me.
  • Are you ever jealous of the success of others?
  • How are you learning to embrace your uniqueness?
  • Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-16. Make a list of the ways God has gifted you.
Memorize James 4:10 this week.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Rodney Kern
Facilities Team

Let Success Consume You - Wednesday

Posted on Wed, Jul 11, 2012

Proverbs 11:28

Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.
 
Admit it, you’ve prayed this prayer before: “Lord, if You’ll just let me win the Lottery, I promise I’ll give You half.” Now, I’m sure the Lord could use half of my 100 million dollars. But you and I know this prayer is never about giving God 50 million, but having 50 million in our own bank account. While I know I would do great things with fortunes God might bless me with, if the truth were known, as much as I dream about solving Lexington’s homeless problem, I also dream about a new house, a boat, a pickup truck, family vacations... you get the point. It’s not bad to dream about business ventures, better jobs, promotions and raises. Sometimes they’re quite necessary. Our families grow, basic needs increase, and life just gets complicated. A little extra money would come in handy. But still we find ourselves turning our heads when we pass the Harley-Davidson dealership.  
 
We have a tendency to mistakenly measure our success through possessions. A big house, a BMW, a garage full of toys - this means we have arrived! Right? Not at all. Listen to what Jesus said to a rich man in Matthew 19: Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. In essence, Jesus was telling him, “Don’t focus on stuff, focus on Me. I am what you should long for.”
  • What possessions cause you to turn your head?
  • What do you need to sell or give away to better follow Jesus?
Memorize James 4:10 this week.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Rodney Kern
Facilities Team

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