Relax And Take Life In

 YouTube Channel Video Devo

https://youtu.be/39o0mOxF3fM?si=jUG5LnBkOUCsN218

“Relax and Take Life In”

Luke 10:38-42 NIV

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

 

I am not a person who can sit very long and not do anything.  I get very fidgety and feel like I have to be doing something.  My wife is constantly reminding me that I can just rest and relax and that it’s productive.  When I’m home, I am cleaning things up in the kitchen and just trying to take care of whatever household needs are present.  You know how it goes, right???  Always something to take care of and tend to!

 

As most of you know, I started running a year ago and I have been putting in a lot of time conditioning my body and working on my endurance for running.  I ran my first 5K race in October last year and just now completed my second one this past weekend.  I have been trying to improve my time and beat my time from the first race.  As I prepared for this recent one, my wife tried to remind me, “Have fun, just try to have fun!”.  I kept saying, “I know that, but I want to improve my time.”  Bless her heart!  She tried hard to encourage me to just take it all in and have a good time.  But when you’re competitive about improving your time and placement, it’s hard to just chill and run. 

 

Often times, if I’m tired at home, I feel very guilty and non-productive if I’m just sitting around home and not doing anything but resting.  I can think of like 15-20 things I need to be doing and not resting.  My wife again reminds me to just chill out and rest because it’s important.  Why is this so hard to do??????

 

I picture this scene where Martha is very upset about her sister and the fact that Mary is just sitting there listening to Jesus and taking that all in while Martha is going at break neck speed to serve and prepare.  Neither person is in the wrong really.  Mary is trying to take in the presence of Jesus and Martha is just trying to use her gifts of service and hospitality.  However, the present scene is one that Martha completely overlooks.  As my wife often reminds me, “You need to just rest and take life in.”  Martha just needed to chill out and take in the presence of Jesus.

 

Friends, so often we get so caught up in life and we don’t take the time to just relax and take life in.  God didn’t create us to GO-GO-GO-GO-GO all the time.  Our bodies can’t take that!  We need rest and it’s definitely productive(even if it doesn’t feel like it!!!!)  I definitely need to realize this and take time to rest, relax and recharge my internal battery. 

 

We are also often so distracted with busy things that we forget to take the time to take in family time as well.  People that we love and care about often get neglected because we are so busy taking care of things too often.  It’s not wrong to be busy, but we need to take time out to just take life in with those we love.

 

Don’t forget to take the time to chill out and take in God’s presence all around.  Take a nap in the recliner, beside the pool, on the beach or just veg out somewhere.  It’s ok to relax and take life in!

Get Lost In Worship

 YouTube Channel Video Devo

https://youtu.be/rw5ugaOlaqw?si=2BKjezXkW--VWDFC

“Get Lost In Worship”

Revelation 4:8-11 NIV

Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”  Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

 

One of my favorite worship songs on Air1 Radio is “No One Like The Lord”.  Jenn Johnson and Bethel Music play this and every time I hear it, I picture the scene in Revelation where all the creatures and elders bow before the Throne.  This song always gives me chills, especially the build up of the bridge into the final chorus. 

 

This song just fills my heart and is an amazing picture of the worship before the Throne of God!  How often, during our days and weeks do we get so caught up in everything going on around us and we lose focus on what truly matters most?  Our families are very important, but there is absolutely nothing more important than coming to the Throne of God in complete worship and just letting go and letting God be in control.  Bringing it all to the Cross and just worshipping Him. 

 

I absolutely love the imagery and scene of worship before Holy God!  In the past several months as God has brought me from depression into more realization of how amazing He is and how amazing His gift of life really is, I am in awe of Him and I just am amazed that we have such a privilege to worship Him. 

 

Just like the song says, there is no one like the Lord.  He is truly worthy of praise and all glory.  I invite you to bring the song up on YouTube and just listen to the words and be brought into complete worship.  Every time this song comes up the radio, I want to crank it up, especially in the last build up and chorus.  It’s just so very powerful! 

 

As I’ve been thinking so much lately about this song and the scene in Revelation of the amazing worship before the Throne, it fills me with awe of God!  I’ve always been into music and it just stirs my soul in an unexplainable way!  The music I’ve gotten into on Air1 in the past few months God has truly used to refresh my heart, mind and soul.  It’s like I’m falling in love with Jesus all over again and it feels great! 

 

This morning in church, as we were singing, I just kept thinking, “God it feels great to be in worship to You through this music!”.  Just let yourself get lost in worship.  Come before His Throne and just worship!

My Story: Intentional Faith

 YouTube Video Channel Devo

https://youtu.be/qt-rE30BUGE?si=qXBHXG7JcDdC3dFv

“My Story: Intentional Faith”

Psalms 107:1 NIV

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

 

This week I felt led to share with you all the story of the past year and all that has gone on in my life.  I would like to share a testimony with you.  I know I’ve shared some of this already, but I wanted to go into more detail and be transparent with you as I feel that some of you may be able to relate to this from the past or are going through something similar.  It’s always comforting to know you are not the only one struggling.

 

Sometime earlier last year, my job got really stressful and I had a huge load on my plate.  There were also a lot of different things happening in life in general that I was struggling to deal with.  I started seeing a Christian therapist in 2023 and that has continued to this day.  Throughout 2024, I was dealing with challenges in my marriage, challenges with continued negative thoughts and self-esteem and just feeling very down.  My mood was often all over the place and I did not like how I got snappy with my wife and my kids on a continual basis.  I was just not feeling myself and felt very down and not joyful. 

 

As the months went on, I just kept thinking about it and I finally went to my doctor to get checked out later in the year as I was concerned about my mental health.  I was keeping up my running through the winter months as we joined the YMCA so we could have a place to go and keep up being active.  That was HUGE for me during the winter, so I could go running and listen to music and sermons.  I stumbled upon a devotional through YouVersion from Louie Giglio called “Don’t Give The Enemy A Seat At Your Table”.  After going through that, I got the book and read it.  Then, I got Craig Groeschel’s book, “Winning The War In Your Mind”. 

 

One of the sermons I heard from Louie Giglio he talked about when he was in a deep depression, he decided he need to be intentional about being positive even when he didn’t feel like it.  He started listening to worship music.  When I heard that, it really hit me and I immediately decided to start doing that myself.  I got into listening to Air1 Christian Radio as my wife was listening to it a lot.  Once I started listening to it, I couldn’t stop and then I decided to put my earbuds in at work through the day for music in the background. 

 

After days, weeks and a couple of months my joy has come back and I’m enjoying life once again.  I just feel better and I’m not depressed as I was.  God has also worked in various ways with my job and some details in life and I just see His working so much to bring more joy to my life. 

 

Now as I’m playing on the worship team at my church, as I’ve been doing for several years, the music means so much more to me than before, even though I was already enjoying it.  I’m just enjoying it so much more because the words are going deep into my heart and soul and filling my mind with positivity. 

 

I don’t ever want to go back to how I was feeling before.  It was not fun and I didn’t know how I was going to get out of the depression hole.  I’m thankful it wasn’t worse than it was, but not fun at all.  I know for so long, I just kept thinking, “God, I hate how I feel and I want this to go away!  Please help me to feel better!”

 

I’m sharing this today with you all as I want to encourage you that if you are feeling like this, please be intentional and make a move to bring positivity into your life.  You might not feel like doing it, but you need to!  Sometimes, you just have to force yourself and be intentional.  It really helps when you are intentional and do something to help brighten your mood.

 

I encourage you to keep the faith and be intentional!  Crank up some worship music and let that fill your heart, mind and soul!  It did wonders for me and I have some new great worship favorites now!  Don’t let the enemy steal your joy!  Take it all back!

All Hope Was Lost, Until.....

 YouTube Channel Video Devo

https://youtu.be/ZZg6PyYg6ac?si=9UeQQnQEoiISowT8

“All Hope Was Lost, Until…….”

 

Last night in our small group, we were discussing The Resurrection.  Last week was The Crucifixion.  As we talked in our group, I got to thinking about the time between when Jesus died and when He rose again.  For 2 days, people were extremely lost and without hope.  The Disciples scattered.  So many lost hope in what had just happened.  “Where is the hope of a Savior now?” so many people must have thought and asked each other.  So much was building up through the years that people heard about Jesus and, then, after He came into Jerusalem, the hype was there!  So much happened in the last week and people were filled with emotions.  However, after He died, so many lost hope and thought death had won.

 

We now know and have the hope those people didn’t.  We look back and we have the whole story, but they didn’t know.  They were lost, confused, devastated, you name it!

 

There are so many people today who are wandering around with absolutely no hope at all.  It’s so sad.  It’s our job and mission as believers to share the hope we have so they will also have hope.

 

Also, as believers, there are many of us who also struggle with hope.

 

The doctor gives a life-threatening diagnosis.

One spouse has left a note saying he/she has given up and is gone.

A son or daughter rebelled and nothing seems to work.

A child is diagnosed with a rare disease.

We lose a job and don’t know how to make ends meet.

We can’t afford the house payments anymore.

 

There are so many people hurting and, often times, we lose hope.  Even as believers, we lose hope at times.  As much as we believe God is real and He is with us, life just gets hard.  Sometimes we are so confused. 

 

If you find yourself in this situation and losing hope each day, please, please, please hang on!  Just trust that God will make a way somehow.  Something will finally click and you will walk out of the valley.  Will all your problems go away?  Not necessarily, but God is the God of hope and He will make some way. 

 

For so many months last year and this year, I felt a loss of hope.  I wasn’t myself.  I was down and depressed a lot.  But then I started listening to Air1 Radio a lot and my spirits lifted.  In the past month, God has worked wonders and my joy is coming back. 

 

Wherever you are, DON’T LOSE HOPE!

Living In The Red

 YouTube Channel Video Devo

https://youtu.be/LvYKyEfbhzM?si=WN_27jRO9VWURnd9

“Living In the Red”

Matthew 10:16-20 NIV

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

 

I recently saw a commercial advertising medicine that would lower risks for people who struggle with certain health conditions.  As I watched this brief commercial, the thought suddenly came to mind about how medicine allows so many people to avoid the risk of “living in the red”.  That phrase just stuck in my mind for a little bit as I thought about how so many of us take medications and are encouraged to live in certain ways to avoid living in the red danger zone.  No one likes to live with dangerous health number levels.  When we get blood tests, we want to see numbers in the normal range.  We tend to cringe and realize needed lifestyle changes when we see high numbers. 

 

As I considered this while watching the commercial and after for a while, I thought about how we so often do the same thing in our spiritual lives.  While we definitely do not want to “live in the red” with our health, we honestly tend to also think this way with our spiritual lives.  We tend to want to do everything possible to stay in the “normal” range and not leave our comfort zones.  We know that Jesus calls us to live for Him and obey where He calls us to go, but we don’t want to get our hands dirty and live risky lives as He has called us to live. 

 

Jesus NEVER called us to live comfortable lives.  In a sense, He has definitely called us to “Living in the red”!  He wants us to take risks and trust that He will be with us and bless us as we step out in faith for Him.  He often calls us to leave our comfort zones and trust that He will guide us through difficult and trying situations. 

 

Think of so many situations with people in Scripture where God called them to do amazing things for Him.  I don’t think anyone did anything incredible without living in the red, getting out of their comfort zones.  The great and powerful stories we read about in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation are people who took risks because they trusted God to lead.  We all need to be more willing to do things God calls us to do that we are uncomfortable with.  We all know and are probably cringing right now thinking of what we’ve been putting off that God is calling us to.

 

God has called us to a life of “living in the red”.  He challenges us to grow in our faith and trust Him in all situations.  I want to encourage all of us to think of what areas in our lives God is challenging us to leave our comfort zones and step out in faith.  How does God want you and I to be bold in living in the red? 

 

God never promised us an easy life!  Even though we often want that, He never commanded that and never intended that by sending Jesus Christ to us.  The journey of life we are all on is intended to be “living in the red”. 

Take It All Back

 YouTube Channel Video Devo

https://youtu.be/epW2HGnnM6w?si=jNXUo0enoUA60G6G

“Take It All Back”

John 10:10 NIV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

 

The title of this devotional is taken from a new song by Tauren Wells.  In this song, he sings about taking back what the enemy stole.  I have used this passage in several sermons in the past as well as devotionals.  This time, it has really hit home with me in the past year as I’ve found myself struggling through a lot of negative thoughts about myself and my self-esteem being way down so often. 

 

God has been doing a work in and through me for the past year as I’ve dealt with so many negative thoughts about myself.  I was bullied and teased a lot as a child and that has made for a lot of challenges in my adult life through the years.  God has not only blessed me with a supportive family, but also a great Christian therapist who has truly helped me work through many struggles I’ve had.  I’ve also shared a little with you all recently that I’ve battled stress, anxiety and some seasonal depression. 

 

I am being very transparent with you all because I feel like I’m not alone at all in the things that I’m dealing with and experiencing.  I’m hoping that by being transparent some of you will relate and know that you are not alone in this battle.  For a while now, I’ve just really struggled with a lot of negative thoughts have affected my work life and personal life.  I started reading books and watching sermons about winning the war of the mind.  As I read a book and watched sermons by Louie Giglio, I learned that he battled deep depression many years ago.  Thankfully I haven’t fallen into that hole and I hope I never will.

 

One thing Louie said in one of his sermons that really challenged me was that he decided to be very intentional about listening to worship music, even when he didn’t feel like it.  I made that choice in the past month or so and have been listening a lot more to Christian radio and letting those songs fill my mind and soul.  By doing this, I feel like I’m taking back what the enemy stole.   

 

Friends, the enemy is so good at attacking us and stealing our joy in life.  He’s done that so much with me through the years in various ways.  If he can get us to hold onto worry, anxiety, stress and busyness, then we are distracted from what matters most. 

 

Listening a lot more to Christian radio and reading more has really helped me fill my mind with more positive thoughts.  So, I want to encourage us all to be very intentional about feeding our minds with positive things even when we don’t feel like it and we feel down.  It’s made a huge difference in how I feel and now I have these songs stuck in my mind all day long. 

 

Take back what the enemy stole!

This Is Too Hard

 YouTube Channel Video Devo

https://youtu.be/ayfJifpx4z0?si=0JAa0voBd2hbjWTX

“This Is Too Hard”

Matthew 26:39 NLT

He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father!  If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me.  Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

 

I don’t know how many times I’ve used the phrase, “This is too hard” through my life.  I’ve lost count how many times I’ve found myself either thinking this or saying it to someone because of a challenging situation I was in.  I’m sure many of us have said this multiple times as we’ve found ourselves in unwanted, uncomfortable and challenging times. 

 

Who really wants to wake up each day and look forward to challenging times that make life hard?  No one!  I think it’s so important for all of us to take time to focus on this moment in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus is so close to His death and He is honestly pleading with His Father to possibly get Him out of the situation.  This is one of the most human situations in all of Scripture.  Jesus knows what He has to do, but He wrestles with this and agonizes over it. 

 

Friends, when we go through hard situations, Jesus knows how it feels.  No matter what pain or agony you are feeling, He is right there with you.  As I pondered this Scripture and scene today, it just made me think of all the times we have all said, “This is too hard” as we experience challenging situations.  There are times we just don’t want to be in and don’t want to deal with.  We’d rather walk away and not deal with the situation in front of us.  We plead with God to remove the hard times so that we don’t have to suffer anymore. 

 

As much as we want to avoid pain, sometimes God needs to use the painful situations to help us grow.  Whatever painful situation you might be experiencing right now in our life, have a real heart to heart conversation with God and tell Him everything you are feeling.  He’s not surprised that you might be pleading with Him.  He wants to hear your agony and your pain and for you to be real with Him.  It doesn’t mean He’s going to take the pain away, but it will bring you much closer to Him.

 

There are many situations in life I wish that I could just steer clear from, but I know that God challenges me and wants me to grow through these to become stronger.  I also know He will be with me through all of it.  I’ve been dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety through the past months in various ways and learning about myself in ways I never considered before.  I know that God is teaching me to deal with what I’m experiencing and He is showing me nothing is too hard to get through with Him. 

 

Every time I think something is too hard for me, I just need to remember what Jesus experienced and I know that I’m not alone.  Whatever your painful time is, know God is with you also.