Good morning!

Several years ago, on a Monday night as I was praying, these words came into my mind: “Love has a hard edge – that edge is God’s truth”

I was praying about relationships and living in this world with others, especially those who are not believers. For me I think the words I found myself mulling over relate to today’s attribute of God. Good. Our brokenness and humanness drives us to quantify and qualify words like love and good as being one hundred percent warm and fuzzy, soft edges with no sharp distinctions.

But what did Jesus Christ share about God’s character when it comes to His goodness?

For example love’s hard edge includes this idea – sin is still sin even when I love the person who is sinning - that is God’s truth. God is good and loves us and shares with us through Jesus (several times in the gospels) to go and sin no more – Jesus shares the hard edge of love. Your sins are forgiven (love), go and sin no more (love’s hard edge).

This seems to me to be a key part of our idea that God is good. He loves us in truth – His truth. There are really no blurred lines.

Questions that come to mind in addition to the thoughts above are - How often do I use that expression – God is good? What do I mean when I share this expression? What am I trying to communicate about God when I say this? How has God been good in my life – even when it didn’t seem like it?

• Good

Some definitions of this word:

• that which is morally right; righteousness (God is the only one holy, morally right and righteous)
• having the qualities required for a particular role (there is only one God)
• benefit or advantage to someone or something (God’s goodness is available and of benefit to - think everyone and everything)

The idea of Good being an attribute of God could be applied as a qualifier to many of His other attributes – for example God being accessible – this is goodness of God; God being faithful – this is goodness of God; God is generous – this is goodness of God. You see how God is Good is reflected in so many of His other attributes.

Psalm 25:6-9 “Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, Lord, are good. Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.”

Comments: When we pray, it seems like we ought to acknowledge God’s Goodness on a regular basis. Thanking our Lord for His goodness seems to be the kind of gratitude that glorifies our Lord – whether we thank God privately or publicly. Here the writer of this Psalm is calls out this attribute of God directly. Of course God already knows he understands this but God also appreciates vocal and written proclamation of who He is…

Psalm 145:6-9 “They tell of the power of your awesome works—and I will proclaim your great deeds. They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”

Comments: God’s goodness is encapsulated in these expressions – awesome works, great deeds, abundant goodness. Then to underscore God goodness, the Psalmist shares something we come to understand (most of the time) as a believer – that God loves us all shared here as “the Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all he has made”. This warms me to the core because it speaks to the breadth and depth of God’s goodness.

1 Timothy 4:4-5 “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.”
Comments: As I read these verses, my mind goes to what it must have been like before the fall. At that time it would have been clear that Everything God created IS GOOD! I think sometimes in this fallen world it is easy to miss the Goodness of God in the gifts we receive in life and we forget sometimes to receive God’s blessings – God’s goodness with prayer and thanksgiving that is founded or sourced from God’s own word.

Other references on God’s goodness for you to contemplate:

• Psalm 100:5
• Nahum 1:7
• Romans 1:19-20

Do a little research on the web or in your Bible. There is lot on this topic of God’s goodness.

Here I go back to the thought I started with: “Love has a hard edge – that edge is God’s truth”. I would contend that God’s Goodness might be embodied in this thought - love with a hard edge has dimension and depth and in the case of God’s goodness was, is and will always be expressed through eternity.

My prayer for each of us as we enter this weekend is that we celebrate the Goodness of God in all the ways it shows up in our lives, sharing back to God in prayer our gratitude for all His goodness including the goodness and hard edged love we experience in receiving the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing and walking with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

Patrick

Good morning!

Seems we can focus on this topic a lot - a challenge for you to consider God’s Word around worry and anxiousness; seeking to be perfect. I think it is probably okay to spend frequent time on this area as living in a challenging world generates a lot of situations that can stimulate worry. Recently for me this includes worry and anxiety over health concerns. That said God shares the following with us:

• Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (See also Luke 12:22)
• Matthew 6:27 “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (See also Luke 12:25)
• Matthew 6:33-34 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
• 1 Peter 5:7 “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
• Philippians 4:5-7 “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

 
I had read a book by Shauna Niequist called “Present Over Perfect” a few years ago now.
 
As her book delves into the topic of perfection and worry, many of us probably worry about how perfectly we are serving Christ, how perfect we are as a Christian, how perfect we look on Facebook. Rather than focusing on our relationships – first with Jesus and then with those around us.
 
All of this would suggest that we do worry and that part of what we worry about is whether we have done enough – have we served enough for Christ. From scripture we know that is not how it works – anxiety, worrying and striving for perfection is not what earns us salvation. That comes through saying yes in our hearts to the gift that God put in front of us in His Son Jesus Christ, yes to a daily relationship with Jesus – yes to the fact He did all the work – all the “Perfect” work on our behalf.
 
In our striving to be perfect we often times lose ourselves, make bad decisions that impact our health, our relationships, the quality of our work and the quality of our relationship with God. Christ falls from the center and we replace Him with some ideal of what perfect is and we chase that. Of course, in doing so, we have a created an idol, a false little “g” god.
 
All of that drives us to sicken ourselves, to worry, to be anxious in our living. The scripture above from Matthew has Jesus sharing with his disciples that worrying does nothing for us – the life and days that God planned for us does not change. In 1 Peter we hear that God wants us to set worry in front of Him. And in Philippians, as we go to Jesus in prayer, we receive the peace of God which will protect our hearts and minds. God is so good to us when we turn to Him.
 
Why, because he cares, which is another way of saying that He loves us!
 
With the above as a backdrop, something Shauna shared towards the end of her book struck me, so I share it here – maybe it will resonate with you as well:

• “…but this is the promise I make to my God: I will never again be so careless, so cavalier with the body and soul you’ve given me.
• They are the only things in all the world that have been entrusted entirely to me, and I stewarded them poorly, worshiping for a time at the altars of productivity, capability, busyness and distraction. This body and soul will become again what God intended them to be: living sacrifices, offered only to Him. I will spend my life on meaning, on connection, on love, on freedom. I will not waste one more day trapped in comparison, competition, proving, and earning. That’s the currency of a culture that has nothing to offer me. [my comments here…chasing things of this world generates worry and anxiety]…
• It is not too strong to say that on this summer morning, sitting at a fire pit on a peninsula on Lake Geneva, I’m offering myself and my whole life, once again, to Jesus, and in that, I’m leaving behind both my tangle with achievement and workaholism and my neglect of my body and my spirit. I’m offering to Jesus a body, a mind, a spirit, a life, a voice, a table.
• Here is the distinction: it is for Him… It is for Jesus. More important it is with Jesus.”

 
I hope and pray this morning that this gives you something to reflect on as you consider your relationship with Jesus – putting away the idea of perfection – worrying, anxiety and earning – and accepting the idea that – just giving ourselves to Jesus starts with being “present” with Him – abiding in Him, doing our life with Him.
 
Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we go into this weekend is that we can set aside the constant worry and anxiety, the constant striving for acceptance and instead just invite Your presence into all we do. Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick

Good morning!

Digging through old sermon notes. I was moved a few years ago by a sermon on the verses shared below. The sermon was powerful and so well done, I probably should just stay away from any commentary on this. But it was so good and so many things hit home for me. Here are the verses covered – most of you are familiar with Hebrews 11:1. All the verses of course are important to what God shares here in His word. After the verses I share some of my thoughts on the richness of what God shares with us in this part of scripture.
 
Hebrews 10:35-11:3
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For,
 
“In just a little while,
he who is coming will come
and will not delay.”
 
And,
 
“But my righteous one will live by faith.
And I take no pleasure
in the one who shrinks back.”
 
But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
 
(v11:1) Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
 
V11:1 may be considered the essence of Christian faith – faith is filled with conviction and the belief in promises (assurance). How do you define faith? Many of us might define it as blind, unknowing, uncertain…but this piece of Hebrews suggest otherwise.
 
Some nuggets from the sermon. What is faith, what is Christian faith:

• Faith is - when it doesn’t go your way, knowing God is still with you
• Faith – is for something hoped for, but not yet seen – the something hoped for are the promises of God – promises that God has given us for our future –
  • That I will be made perfect in Christ (Hebrews 10:14)
  • I will have eternal life and be raised up on the last day (Ephesians 2:5-7 John 3:14-16 Romans 6:22-23)
  • I have a living hope – promised resurrection (1 Peter 1:3 John 11:24-26 Romans 6:5 Revelation 20:6)
  • I have salvation (Acts 4:11-13 Romans 1:16 Ephesians 1:13-14)
  • I am made a child of God (made like Him) (Romans 8:13-15 Galatians 3:25-27)
  • I will live in the new heaven, new earth (2 Peter 3:12-14 Revelation 21:1-3)
  • I have treasures stored in heaven (Matthew 6:18-20)
  • And many more…
• Faith is confidence in the future promises of God – because of the God who promises.
• Faith is future certainty because of Devine integrity

 
None of this might make any sense if you do not believe in God, the God of the Bible, the character of God that is shared with us. If I cannot trust God, if I do not believe in God’s integrity, how would I ever have faith…at least how would I ever have faith in the promises of God?
 
However, if I trust God (something I need to work on daily), all of God’s promises are true. If all of God’s promises are true, faith is not something uncertain at all.
 
Some implications of all of this as presented in the sermon and worth reading, worth considering (my comments included):

• Faith is based on facts. This is absolutely true in if you believe in the integrity of God, truth of His Word, the truth of His character.
• Faith in God is strengthen by the Word of God. The more I get to know God by studying the Bible, the more likely my faith in God will become deeper.
• Faith is not confidence in what God has not promised. Do not put words in God’s mouth. All of the promises above are spiritual and eternal promises. We often want to extend God’s promises to material things, to how life should be…these kinds of promises – the prosperity gospel – really are not part of God’s promises. Often we get mad when we or those close to us get sick or have troubles…God does not promise a perfect life – in fact Christ promised trouble in this world if we follow him. It doesn’t mean we do not pray for healing, health or a smooth path.
• Faith is confidence in what God said. So get to know what God has said. I love this implication – it points to the need to spend time with God, in prayer and most importantly in His Word.
• As Christians we have lots of evidence that should support our Christian faith –
  • Creation
  • Israel – a nation God established and is still here
  • Christ

 
I will leave you with this.
 
1 Corinthians 15:13-15

• If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.

 
Do you believe this? Any of the discussion above about faith – none of it matters if Christ was not resurrected.
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we enter this weekend is that each of us praise God for knowing the truth of the Gospel – You, Jesus Christ, came for our salvation, suffered on our behalf, took our sins – past, present and future, to the Cross, died, conquered death and rose on the 3rd day and now sits at the right hand of God the Father! That each of us carries this faith. Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick




​

Good morning!

I was reading an article and a guy was quoted as saying, when asked why he was doing something, that he was “paying off his debt of grace” – at first when I read this expression it was like a tuning fork going off within me – it resonated with me as a thought worth exploring within scripture…the guy was referring to the gift of grace we have received through Jesus Christ, being justified and made righteous by the blood of our Savior.
 
Then I sat on this for a few days. I am no longer resonating with it as much as I did when I wrote this. A lot has changed since I first read the phrase on that Monday.

Maybe that changed my perspective. This is because the expression suggests somehow we could pay the debt Christ paid with His life, that we somehow earn our way to an eternal relationship with God.
 
Of course, it is true that faith without works is dead faith. But those works are fruits of the love we have for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Works born of the heart overflowing with the joy we receive as we accept the gift of mercy and grace.
 
This leads me to where this week a few years ago became surreal for me.
 
Tuesday of that week came.
 
An email from a cousin. My aunt, Sister Rosemary, had suddenly passed away earlier that day. Rosemary was my Mom’s sister, the 7th of the 11 siblings to pass away. She, as many of my Mom’s siblings, was special to me. I wear a cross daily, a gift three years ago from Rosemary because as she shared with me that she recognized Jesus Christ working in my life. I wear it daily, as a reminder two things – that my life is surrendered to Jesus Christ – my rebellion is over – and – that Jesus Christ did the work…I pray these words in some form back to Jesus every morning. In gratitude. Sister Rosemary gave her life to Christ when she entered the Convent. She understood the surrender to Christ part – and I am sure she understood there is no human effort that could ever pay off “our debt of grace”. Rosemary was a fighter. She survived (I am sure she would not have used the words “I won”) cancer twice. But she surely would have given God all the credit – for both times it looked like there was no hope. I would not be wearing this cross daily if God had not brought her though. There was no pride here, no I worked hard so God healed me with Rosemary. There was just this quiet and beautiful gratitude offered to God for His work in her life, including the work of providing the means (in and through Jesus Christ) of how we come back into right relationships with Him –God’s gift of mercy and grace.
 
As I wrote this originally, it was lent, leading up to Easter. I found this rambling set of thoughts most appropriate. Because any celebration of lent ultimately leads to the Cross and then the Resurrection of Jesus Christ – proof of God’s mercy and grace.
 
Tuesday of that week was a heavy day.
 
Later that day, a friend Andy came by. Andy and I had a friend who we served with on the Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) leadership team. I knew Tom for the last five years, Andy longer. Tom was an elder in his church. His small BSF groups always had some of the highest attendance. He lived his faith in Jesus Christ daily. Tom knew deeply of God’s mercy and grace. Tuesday he dropped dead of a heart attack.
 
It did not end there. Paul, another friend, lost an aunt on that Tuesday. And another friend, Katie, lost a grandmother on that Tuesday. I not sure of where the aunt or grandmother stood with Christ. I pray they knew Him well.
 
Tuesday of that week was a good day.
 
A day for joy in this way. Rosemary, I am pretty certain, went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Tom Chamberlain came face to face with Christ as well. A good day. Joy in the sorrow.
 
Some passages on God’s mercy and grace for you to reflect on if you so choose. After a week like that one, after a day like Tuesday several years ago, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to remember this gift through these verses:

• John 1:16-17
• Romans 3:23-25
• Romans 5:1-3
• 1 Corinthians 1:3-5
• Ephesians 1:3-11
• Ephesians 2:1-10
• Ephesians 4:1-7
• 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
• 2 Timothy 1:8-10
• Hebrews 2:9-10

 
I am sure I am missing some scripture that is worthwhile to ponder but if this stirs you in some way, I recommend you spend some time in God’s Word, letting Him speak to you.

All of this should remind us - there is no debt to pay off for the mercy and grace we have received, when Jesus called us to himself. Jesus paid in full, did all the work... Our response should be to let the Holy Spirit generate fruit of the love demonstrated to each us, love immense beyond our comprehension.
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we go into this weekend is all over the place – that each of us knows the truth of God that He has numbered our days and wisely use the days we are given to glorify God in all we do – that we share the seeds of the Gospel so God can bring others His mercy and grace through you, Jesus Christ – and finally, in our losses of family or friends who we know are in Christ, that in addition to the mourning we experience, we find the joy that comes with knowing they are HOME... Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick 

Good morning!

Measuring up.
 
How often do you get caught in the trap of whether you have jumped high enough or run fast enough or worked long enough or…<fill in the blank>?
 
Even today, in our work places and daily lives, we measure performance.
 
Does this leave you exhausted? Is this how your relationship with Jesus Christ looks? Pursuit of His love through performance to meet some sort of bar of perfection?
 
I know I have been and probably still will be guilty of that at times. God shares His truth about us and His love for us and gives us the right perspective in this passage below from Romans.
 

• Romans 3:21-26
• Righteousness Through Faith
• 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

 
Not one of us will measure up to the perfection that God requires of us – sounds bad right – but God knows that about us – so He provides the solution for us – the perfect sacrifice of atonement for us – Jesus Christ – and not just for Jews, but for us Gentiles as well. We become justified and right(eous) before God because of the blood of Christ – through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior.
 
So no striving on our part to get salvation will bring us that – only faith in Christ, through which we receive God’s grace and mercy; we receive a repaired relationship with God. Even our faith is a work of God, as shared in the Gospel of John, God draws us to Christ (see John 6:44). God is calling out for us to return home to Him.
 
It is not that we shouldn’t work or measure that work or set goals. In James, we see that true faith leads to an outpouring of God’s love from us as fruit. Fruit is a result of faith.
 
However, the motivation for the work we do in the name of Jesus Christ should flow from the joy of knowing we received salvation by His hand alone and the desire to praise and glorify God.
 
Setting goals and measure helps us focus work, but it shouldn’t take over how we value ourselves – leaving us tired, frustrated or depressed. For if we truly get up every day to do our work, where ever that is, and we are focused on celebrating the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, then we can rest in our title given from above – “children of God”. And know we perfect before God – through Jesus and His work.
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we go into this weekend is we find peace in God’s truth about each of us as His children and we put behind us trying to strive for His approval – for He has given us that approval – through the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Let us let Your perfection reign in our lives! Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick

Good morning!

Often in scripture God exhorts His people to be strong, to be courageous, promising us that he will be present – for His people to trust Him and not be afraid. For example:
 

• “Be strong and courageous! God Himself will guide you and be with you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:7-8

 
And - because of the sacrifice of Christ and His resurrection, because of His promise of the Helper, when we have received Jesus as Lord we have these promises for example:
 

• John 14:25-27 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

- Or-

• 1 John 2:1 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

 
Each of us are in that unique place that God has placed us. We have challenges in our daily life and all that is going on around us. Things that make us afraid, anxious, unnerved, things that are painful and hurtful.
 
Of course, if you are like me, you might think that if I am in the right place, things will be easy and simple…and we know that is far from the case.
 
Here we can see in the old testament, the promise of God the Father walking with us, guiding us as we live in this world encountering the challenges that entails…And then we see this promise of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and our Savior, which is that He will walk with us through the Holy Spirit, giving us His strength and presence – providing strength we do not have in of ourselves that we might walk as light to those around us – and we can do this without fear and with His courage, a gift of the Spirit within us.
 
Be humble, yet stand tall in Christ and God will be with you.
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we enter this weekend is that as the world closes in on us, as we face daily difficulties and pains, that in it all, we know your strength and courage that we receive through the presence of the Holy Spirit within us – and there we find the peace You promise us! Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick

Good morning!
 
I ran across this somewhere in my past. Rereading it today, I realized how much my heart and soul needed God's reassurance of His love for me, you, His Bride, and the church.

I have been sick lately and what the cause is, is uncertain. However, Jesus presence through the Holy Spirit has been certain and firm. His love never wavering.

As we move towards the second half of 2026, we walk expectantly and with hope that only comes through knowing Jesus Christ into this final part of this year, it seemed appropriate that we are reminded that when we truly believe in Jesus and proclaim His name, that in our rebirth as children of God, scripture has a lot to say about who we become, who we are in Christ and the depth of His love for each one of us...

…read and cherish the love you have found in Christ:
 
Freedom Prayer - Who I am in Christ
“The Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.” 2 Cor 3:17
 
Freedom comes when we continue to walk in the Truth of who our identity and sense of worth comes through who we are in Christ. Daily we are to renew our minds with the Truth that our acceptance, security, and significance are in Jesus alone. Meditate on the following truths daily. Try reading the entire list aloud, morning, and evening for the next several days. Think about what you are reading and let your ears rejoice in these truths!
 
I am Accepted in Christ -
I renounce the lie that I am rejected, unloved, dirty, or shameful because in Christ, the truth is that I am completely accepted. God says that:

John 1:12
I am God's child

John 15:15
I am Christ's friend

Romans 5:1
I have been justified

1 Cor 6:17
I am united with the Lord and one with Him in spirit

1 Cor 6:20
I have been bought with a price, I belong to God

1 Cor 12:27
I am a member of Christ's body

Ephesians 1:1
I am a saint

Ephesians 1:5
I have been adopted as God's child

Ephesians 2:18
I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit

Colossians 1:14
I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins

Colossians 2:10
I am complete in Christ

I am Secure in Christ -
I renounce the lie that I am guilty, unprotected, alone, or abandoned, because in Christ I am totally secure. God says that:

Romans 8:1-2
I am free forever from condemnation

Romans 8:28
I am assured that all things work together for good

Rom 8:33-34
I am free from any condemning charges against me

Romans 8:35
I cannot be separated from the love of God

2 Cor 1:21
I have been established anointed and sealed by God

Colossians 3:3
I am hidden with Christ in God

Philippians 1:6
I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected

Phil 3:20
I am a citizen of heaven

2 Timothy 1:7
I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power love and a sound mind

Hebrews 4:16
I can find grace and mercy in time of need

1 John 5:18
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me

 What Jesus did on the Cross is so much more than we can fathom - His work has made it possible for us to participate with Him in building the Kingdom. Let this understanding cause you to look to Jesus daily for someone and someway you can glorify Him as you sweetly obey Him and follow Him.
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we enter this weekend is that we never forget You and who we have become as Your followers. In this mid-year reflection, let us shine the light we have been given by You, Lord Jesus and be Your salt in our relationships with others! Amen!
 
Happy New Year! Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick

Good morning!

A few years ago , our new lead pastor at the time was doing a 16-week sermon series on Philippians called Christ is Life. At the time, one of his sermons was on the following verses and the sermon and these verses have left me in frequent thought about my faith – the maturity and depth of my faith.
 
Philippians 1:19-26 To Live Is Christ

• Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

 
Paul is writing from prison in Rome an those he wrote to were mainly Gentiles and he is sharing his heart for them, and his appreciation of them. In this section of scripture Paul gets very personal about his faith. This led me to consider my faith and where my relationship with Jesus sits right now.
 
Paul says: To live is Christ and to die is gain -à to be able to say this (for Paul to say this) shows a depth of faith, a maturity – what is Paul saying here? He answers some of that in verse 22 – if I live, that means I have fruitful labor (sharing the good news of the gospel). So he finds joy in that thought. But in verse 21 he also shares “to die is gain”. In verse 23 he explains this further – my desire is to depart, to be with Christ, for that is far better. Although at the beginning of verse 23 he says that he is hard pressed between life and death he concludes verse 23 with dying to be with Christ would be far better.
 
But Paul is not done – he recognizes that the call Jesus put on his life is more important that his desires and that his call to minister to these Philippians is absolutely necessary – as this would be obedience to his Savior, Jesus – see verse 24-26. Paul is finding his joy and working for their growth in faith and their joy in Christ so that Jesus will be glorified.
 
A point our pastor made that was important is that God is not only worried about our destination (by faith in Jesus, salvation) but also about our journey home to Him. Paul had faith the moment he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus but now in this letter we see his journey has brought Paul to deep and mature faith where he can actually say “To live is Christ and to die is gain” and actually mean it – where he has joy in Christ no matter what happens to him – and is happy to be obedient to Christ for the sake of others, in this case the Philippians.
 
Paul is keeping it real and in doing so let’s the Philippians know he is there for them, that he chooses them rather than death which would reunite him to Christ.
 
Is my faith this deep? How mature is my faith? Am I able to say this with confidence? And am I ready to declare my desire to stay to minister to others (to strengthen their faith) rather than to go home to Christ?
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we enter this weekend is that even if we know that for us it is better to be home with You, that we choose to build up the faith of others in You for as long as you give us breath and life to live in the here and now! Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick

Good morning!
 
I reached all the way back to December of 2013 and found this verse on one of the Bummer Buster blogs I wrote and shared at that time.
 
Romans 8:38-39

• And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 
Back then, I did not have much commentary on what I shared – it was more like “verse(s) of the day”.

Today, just before writing this, Kathy and I were witnesses to a horrific motorcycle accident where a young man of 20 almost lost his life, crashing in front of us as we were driving down a mountain in northeastern Georgia. 

I treasure God's Word because He shares that he will use all things to His glory. The treasure in this tragedy was that Kathy and I got to pray and provide comfort to the young man Eli who almost lost his life - we were able to pray for him and the friends who he was riding with, in Jesus name, sharing that real life, eternal life, real peace comes from our Savior not from the world. 

Only God could put us in that position.
 
I find it interesting that these two particular verses come shortly after a verse we all know well – Romans 8:28 - “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”. What a beautiful verse to cherish and consider in our hearts - as a treasure. In the light of the accident, this ve.se speaks even louder - God by His hand and His sovereignty, placed us Jesus followers in the middle of His work in the life of these young men who were experiencing a tragic accident - God uses all of that for good.

My heart hurts because of this tragedy but also leaps for joy to know that God is doing what only God can do - provide people glimpses into His presence, His light and goodness in extremely difficult circumstances.
 
This reminds me of the times in the Gospels where we hear about Mary treasuring (see Luke 2:19) certain things about Jesus in her heart. We should certainly treasure that we have all of God’s Word to treasure, but there are certain verses in scripture that might cause us to pause and treasure. 

This accident only underlines the need to treasure God's Word, especially these verses
 
There is so much encouragement from Paul in Romans and specifically in chapter 8…Paul talks about believers having life in the Spirit, our being Heirs with Christ, that future glory is ours in eternity and that we have God’s everlasting love…all to reach those who need to know Him and to fill with hope for those who know Jesus or who are just being introduced to Him.
 
But going back to the two these two verses (8:38-39), Paul shares something that should be leaving us breathless and with the knowledge of the priceless treasure we receive when Christ becomes our Lord. Nothing can separate us from the love of God – not death, not life, not angels, not demons, not our fear or worries, not the power of hell, no earthly powers – Nothing!! If we believe and accept Jesus as our Savior, nothing will be able to create a barrier between us and God’s love. Love so deep to be beyond full comprehension in the present time. Yet we have witnessed that love – as it was and is and will be revealed to each of us through Christ Jesus our Lord! The exclamation point God put on that revelation was through the suffering and death on the Cross of Lord Jesus followed up by His resurrection from the dead.
 
Hold on fast to these verses because they clearly speak to God’s never ending love that is stopped by nothing but will always be able to reach us!

And for the young men, not just Eli who was seriously injured in the accident, but also his friends, I pray they find Jesus through all of this and they too are left breathless in the joy of hope they would have in Jesus.
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we enter this weekend is that hold your hope and love, that Paul shared with us in these verses, hold it close to us within our hearts and minds, with the understanding it can never be taken away from us – and represents the hope we live for, our own resurrection that will reunite us with You! Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick
​

Good morning!

Humility as the foundation for true Christ-centered relationships

Philippians 2 is one my favorite chapters in scripture specifically verses 1-8. It captures the heart of God's love for humanity...
 
Philippians 2:1-8
Imitating Christ’s Humility

• Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, hen make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

 
Humility – definition - the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people: the quality or state of being humble. I have heard others give a Biblical take on this definition - humility before God - thinking less of myself and thinking more of Jesus...

This word popped into my head during prayer recently – as it often does. I went to my handy note-pad to write it down. It has been on my heart in a few ways over the last few weeks. (It is funny that I first wrote about this word in 2016 yet here in 2026 this word has resurfaced and I am spending a lot of time contemplating what this looks like from a Christ-follower perspective…any thoughts?)
 
I think we all appreciate hearing kind words of encouragement, pats on the back for a job well done – all of this is good for a person’s mood and mind set; providing a sense of being loved both by those around us and by Christ.
 
However, for me there is danger – using that input to stoke my ego, using that information to take credit, taking those kind words and using them to put myself above others. Satan loves for us to fall into that trap. Taking the God given gift of positive encouragement and support and gratitude; the gift often shared in love to support one another, Satan turns it into selfishness, if we let him. (I think here in 2026, more than ever, we are seeing social pressures pushing us to hold ourselves up on pedestals rather than looking to serve others)
 
That is why I have come to love the word humble in all its forms. Remembering my relationship with God through Jesus Christ, that we have been called to share the good news and to serve others – that is being humble – using those gifts I received from God – those given in His creation of me, knitted in the womb and those given through the life He has given me to live – to do His will. When this is my mindset, when I step back from the brink of selfishness and remember who God made me (us) to be, there is warmth of His love to be had in having humility in our hearts for that makes us true servants.
 
HUMILITY THEN LEADS TO RELATIONSHIPS THAT HOLD VALUE – IN SOME SENSE “HOLY RELATIONSHIPS”, LIKE THE ONE WE HAVE WITH JESUS CHRIST AND GOD THE FATHER. 
 
Relationships - It is pretty clear that relationships are more important than anything else in our lives. It starts with the most important relationship we have – with God, specifically through Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit, through which our relationship with the Father has been saved – for eternity. We are called often in scripture to take this understanding into our relationships that are a part of this world – with our families, friends, those we encounter, even our enemies. Philippians 2:1-8 frames it so well – value each other above yourselves – have the same way of thinking about relationships with each other as Christ did…
 
This kind of thinking should become normal for us, especially if God has called you into a role that involves relational interactions with others. For those in other roles or in non-relational callings or in a secular role, this kind of relational perspective can be very challenging.
 
God has blessed me and continues to bless me by calling me into relational roles. God blesses those of you in other roles and yet this might be harder to see sometimes – I certainly have heard that from others who do not see their calling at all or view their callings as non-relational. However, His hand is the hand that created each connection, each relationship that led you and I to any relationship formed where God has placed us and that now becomes a part of the fabric of this season of our lives.
 
Humility laid the foundation for these holy relationships in Christ.
 
We are richer in our lives and in our lives in Christ, because God felt it was important that, for a little while, our lives connect (yes even through this blog) – even if it isn’t often, or is seemingly insignificant when we do interact or even if we never interact except for the fact that you are reading this..
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us today is that we know the truth of God’s desire for us to be humble in service and that we are able to share the warmth of that truth that has been created in our hearts with others, and I am grateful that for some of you, I at least a little about each of you. Yet also grateful for those who read this, but we do not know each other. And finally – is that WE remember always – relationships built in humility with each other and with other people can truly reflect You Lord, Your Light Jesus Christ. … Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick