Promise for Today - In Light of Failure

When you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.

Luke 22:32 (NLT)

Before Peter had even failed, Jesus gave him a vision of how God could use his failure for good.

When you’re in the middle of a failure, it can seem like nothing good will ever come from it. But God can always bring good from your failures. In fact, your worst failure can become your greatest success. If you let him, God will use your failures to build his church!

After Peter’s failure (when he denied Jesus three times), Jesus died and then was resurrected. And when he and Peter met again on a seashore, Jesus pointed him to the good that God would bring out of his failure. Here’s how the conversation went:

“Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’ Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’ The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep’” (John 21:15-17 NIV).

Three times Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” Why did he ask that three times? He was giving Peter the opportunity to make up for the three times he had denied Jesus.

And each time, Jesus gave Peter another way to use his failure for good: “Feed my lambs...Take care of my sheep... Feed my sheep.”

On the same night that Peter had denied Jesus, another disciple, Judas, also failed Jesus. But ultimately, Judas became a traitor to Jesus, while Peter chose to become a teacher and a leader.

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (ESV).

God is still building his church by using people who’ve failed. In fact, God only uses failed people—because there aren’t any perfect people!

What are you going to become in light of your failure? It’s your choice.

Talk It Over

What is one way you want to see God use your failure for good? Do you believe that he can do more than you could even ask or imagine?

Think of a fellow Christian you admire. How have you seen God turn a great failure into a great ministry in their life?

What big failure have you experienced? Are you ready to surrender it to God today so you can see how he can bring good from it?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

         We come before You, acknowledging the challenges and failures we have faced. We recognize that You are the Source of divine guidance and strength, enabling us to rise above every setback. Help us to remember that failure does not define us but is a stepping stone toward success. Grant us courage to face our fears, wisdom to learn from our mistakes, and resilience to overcome and persevere in every situation. Replace our doubts with faith, our fear with confidence, and our discouragement with hope. We receive Your favor, blessings, and victory in every area of our lives, offering thanksgiving and praise to You, in Jesus' Name. Amen

Promise for Today - Think Eternal

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Two verses in the Bible are written by the same author but seem to send opposite messages:

1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them” (NIV). That’s pretty clear!

But John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world...” (NIV). That looks like a big contradiction right there.

However, “the world” is used two ways in these verses. The first verse refers to the world’s value system, and the second refers to the world’s people. Followers of Jesus are to love people, no matter what choices they make. On the other hand, we are to hate the world’s value system, including things like status, selfishness, and sexual immorality. The problem is that we often get it reversed. We love the value system and hate the people. We do this all the time. Instead of being different, we’re often just as materialistic and hedonistic as the culture we live in. But that’s backwards from how God calls us to live.

For the rest of your life, you’ll face great pressure to conform to the culture. This was Israel’s biggest problem for thousands of years. They wanted to be like other nations. Yet God gave them all kinds of moral, civil, and ceremonial laws to make them different on purpose.

God has done the same for you and me. We don’t live under Old Testament Law, but God has told us exactly how we should live and how to get the wisdom and power to stand out in this world: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2 NLT).

One reason you may not know what God wants you to do in life is that you may be too assimilated to your culture. Often this happens without you realizing it. But you can’t think like the world and think like God thinks. You have to make a choice.

The problem with following culture is that it’s all temporary. You need to follow something eternal: God’s Word.

Fill your mind with God’s truth, and let it transform your life by helping you love people without loving the world’s value system.

Talk It Over

Write down several areas of your life (family, career, church involvement, etc.) and the top five values that drive you in each area. In what ways are those values based on what culture values? In what ways are they based on God’s Word?

Why do you think that temporary things often feel satisfying in the short-term?

In what ways are you loving people like God loves them?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

         Teach our hearts the rhythm of Your own - where patience flows like a quiet river, and kindness blooms without condition. Let us see each soul as You behold them: not by the shadow of their failings, but by the light You breathed into their being. If we are wronged, anchor us in forgiveness deeper than the wound; when we are weary, fill us with the strength that serves without counting the cost. Break the walls of our selfishness, till our love is not ours, but Yours - a love that seeks no return, that gives as the sun gives, that holds as the sky holds, that endures as eternity endures. Teach us to walk in Your love so completely that we extend it to everyone around us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Unqualified?

Give yourselves completely to God—every part of you—for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes.

Romans 6:13 (TLB)

There is no greater joy than to be used by God for a purpose bigger than yourself. Nothing compares to that feeling you get the moment you realize, “This is it! This is why I’m alive. I get it now.”

If you’ve never had this feeling, you’re missing out. The purpose of life isn’t to get an education, get a job, make money, and retire before you die. Your life is far more significant than your career. You were made for eternal purposes. The Living Bible paraphrase says, “Give yourselves completely to God—every part of you—for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes” (Romans 6:13 TLB).

The problem is, many people secretly fear that God could never use them. Some people feel disqualified because of their past sins and mistakes. Others feel unqualified because they don’t feel like they have the right education, talents, or background.

Maybe you feel one of those two ways—disqualified or unqualified. But you only have to look at the life of the apostle Paul to know that God wants to use you in ways you can’t even imagine.

Nobody in history has been used by God more than Paul. Paul almost single-handedly spread Christianity all over the Roman Empire. He planted churches everywhere. He wrote about half of the New Testament. He lived with purpose to please God.

But do you know what Paul was doing before he became a preacher, a pastor, and a church planter? He was an anti-Christian crusader. He went from village to village persecuting Christians, having them thrown into prison. Paul was the exact opposite of someone you’d think God could use.

Paul wrote, “You know what I was like . . . how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. . . . But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace” (Galatians 1:13, 15 NLT).

Your past does not preclude your future. Your past is past. It doesn’t disqualify you from being used by God. The same is true with the kinds of opportunities you’ve had or didn’t have. They don’t make you unqualified. God chose you and called you, and he wants to use you today because of “his marvelous grace.”

Talk It Over

What sins or mistakes from your past make you feel disqualified to be used by God? What aspects of yourself or your story make you feel unqualified?

Who in your life is like Paul—someone who made a lot of mistakes but eventually was used by God in great ways? How does that person’s story encourage you?

Describe a time you knew God was using you for a purpose bigger than yourself. What characterized your life during that time? How can you make yourself available to be used by God in similar ways today?

No matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been, you’ve got a place in God’s forever family.
It’s ready and waiting for you. The invitation is wide open. Just believe and receive. Simply pray this prayer:

 “Dear God, I know when I die, I’m going to give an account of my life to you. I know I have sinned against you, and I have lived by my plan, not yours. I want that to change, starting right now. I want to turn away from my sins and turn toward you.

“Thank you for sending Jesus to die for all I’ve done wrong so that I don’t have to pay the penalty. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I know only your grace can save me, Lord. I could never be good enough on my own to get into a perfect place.

“Jesus, thank you for loving me so much that you took all my guilt on yourself. You made me acceptable for heaven, and I humbly ask you to save me. I believe in you, Jesus. And I believe you will keep your promise to save me instantly, certainly, completely, and eternally. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

- by Pastor Rick

Promise for Today - With Mercy

'Neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’

John 8:11 (NIV)

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, God calls you to treat everyone with dignity. It doesn’t matter if they act, think, or worship differently than you. He still wants you to treat them with dignity. Why?

Because that’s what Jesus did.

Jesus accepted everyone. This doesn’t mean he approved of everything people did. He doesn’t approve of everything you do either, but he accepts you and treats you with dignity.

In John 8, Jesus treated a humiliated woman with dignity, but her accusers did not. Instead, they brought her before Jesus and said, “This woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” (John 8:4-5 NLT)

Jesus knew they were just trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, so he “stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. . . . [Then] he stood up again and said, ‘All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!’” (John 8:6-7 NLT).

Nobody knows what Jesus wrote in the dirt, because the Bible doesn’t tell us. Some scholars think he wrote down the sins of the woman’s accusers: judgmentalism, arrogance, dishonesty, or spousal abuse. After all, Jesus, being God, knew their secret sins and wanted to get to the heart of the matter.

What did her accusers end up doing? John 8:9 says, “They slipped away one by one . . . until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman” (NLT). They didn’t stick around to condemn her. And Jesus didn’t condemn her either. Instead, he showed her mercy. John 8:11 says, “‘Neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin’” (NIV).

Did this woman do something wrong? Yes. She cheated on her husband. But Jesus protected her dignity in a public situation and dealt with her sin gently. He, in effect, said, “Don’t do this anymore.” He changed her.

That’s why I love Jesus—because he does the same thing with me. He treats me with mercy, even though I don’t deserve it. That’s what he does in your life, too—and it’s how he wants you to treat others.

Talk It Over

When have you sensed that Jesus was treating you with dignity and showing you mercy instead of condemning you?

What does it mean to you to know that Jesus wants to offer you mercy and dignity rather than condemnation?

In what situation in your life do you have a chance to treat someone with the same kind of dignity Jesus does?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

         We come to You today asking for Your help, to increase our compassion and mercy. We know that these qualities are important for living a life filled with love and understanding for others. Please help us see the world through Your eyes, to understand that everyone is struggling, and show them kindness and compassion no matter what they have done or where they come from. We repent for the times we have not looked beyond self; we pray You will remove the spirit of selfishness in our lives. 
     Help us to be more forgiving and to let go of anger and resentment toward others. Help us to show mercy to those who have wronged us and to extend grace to those who need it most. Lord, You are rich in mercy, to the point of dying for our sins. We want to grow more in our walk to be like You according to Your Word in Ephesians 2:4 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us.”
     We pray that You will fill our hearts with Your love and compassion so that we may be a source of hope and comfort to those around us. Let the light of Jesus flow through our lives. Through the Power of the Holy Spirit, we will surrender our hearts to You and be the face of Jesus to all those we encounter. This is not something we can do alone, and we humbly ask for Your help and guidance as we strive to become more compassionate and merciful. Change our hearts, O God, in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Emotional Well-being

A righteous person lives on the basis of his integrity. Blessed are his children after he is gone.

Proverbs 20:7 (GW)

If you won’t get married until you find the perfect wife or perfect husband, you’ll never marry, because no one is perfect. But you do need to marry someone who’s emotionally healthy and growing. And you need to make sure you’re growing in those areas too.

The Bible has a lot to say about emotional health. Here’s a list of emotional health factors from God’s Word:

An emotionally healthy person doesn’t have uncontrolled anger. “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person. Do not associate with one easily angered” (Proverbs 22:24 NIV). An angry spouse will eventually direct their anger toward you.

An emotionally healthy person doesn’t have addictions. “Don’t associate with people who drink too much or stuff themselves with food” (Proverbs 23:20 GNT). Food and alcohol are mentioned here, but there are countless ways to be addicted, including to technology, pornography, and even spending money.

An emotionally healthy person is not bitter. “Make sure that everyone has kindness  from God so that bitterness doesn’t take root and grow up to cause trouble that corrupts many of you” (Hebrews 12:15 GW). Bitterness is like a poison; it eats you alive.

An emotionally healthy person is not selfish. “Selfish people cause trouble” (Proverbs 28:25 CEV). The number one cause of conflict in marriage, when you boil it all down, is simple: selfishness.

An emotionally healthy person is not greedy. “Whoever is greedy . . . brings trouble to his family” (Proverbs 15:27 GW). And Proverbs 23:6 makes it even more blatant: “Don’t eat with people who are stingy” (NLT).

An emotionally healthy person is generous and kind. “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25 NIV). And Proverbs 11:17 says, “Kindness is rewarded— but if you are cruel, you hurt yourself” (CEV).

An emotionally healthy person tells the truth. “A righteous person lives on the basis of his integrity. Blessed are his children after he is gone” (Proverbs 20:7 GW). Love is based on trust, and trust is based on truth.

Maybe you’ve read through this list and realized that many of these qualities are missing in the person you’re with. If you’re already married, it’s never too late for you and your spouse to see where you’re emotionally immature, commit to change, and ask God’s help as you grow toward emotional health. If you're dating, it’s time to reconsider the relationship. And if you see some of these qualities missing in your own life, ask God to help you grow before you commit to marriage.

Talk It Over

Look back over these traits of emotionally healthy people. In what areas are you doing really well?

In what areas of emotional health do you need to grow? What help do you need to grow in that area?

Are you dating, or considering dating, someone who shows signs of emotional immaturity? If you are, what change(s) do you need to make?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

          Thank You that when You came to live on earth, You experienced every human emotion. We ask You to begin the work of healing broken hearts and binding up emotional wounds. Show us what steps we need to take to move toward wholeness, and we trust You to heal us in Your perfect timing. Thank You for understanding everything we're feeling right now. Restore to us spiritual wellness and wholeness, and restore the joy of our salvation. Deliver us from any forces that stand against You, and align our hearts and spirits with Yours. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Promise for Today - Bad Tires

Guest Author - Christopher Glotzbach

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A few months ago, I gave a friend a ride home and when he hopped out of my car, he turned and said:
“Your tires are super bad. You need to get new ones.”

Yeah — sure.  A few days later, same situation. Different friend. Same conversation.
“Yeah, I’ll look into it. I know.”

Nothing... Until last weekend, when I was driving back from Columbus and a pretty bad storm rolled in.
I don’t get scared very often — but there were a few times I thought my buddy and I were going to slide off the road. Why? Because I needed new tires. 

I knew Brittany and I were going to be driving to Florida this week, so I needed to look into new tires. There was no way I thought we’d make the haul with what I had.

You know what’s crazy?

As soon as I pulled out of the shop with the new tires, it felt like I was driving a new car. I was stopping on a dime. I was accelerating like I should have. Look — it was crazy. And this situation has made me think:

How did this happen? How did I let my tires get this bad and not even know it? It happened slowly, over time. And I got used to the bad without even realizing it.

I think if we’re honest, we’re all guilty of letting things get away from us. But most of the time, it doesn’t happen all at once. It happens through slow fades. Drifting. Hebrews 2:1 says: “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.”

The way we fight against drifting is by paying attention. And that can be hard to do. So stay grounded in truth. Stay humble enough to listen to the people around you when they see something in you that you might not see in yourself. Sometimes someone else can see the warning signs before you do.

My prayer today:

“God, 

         Thank You for friends who hold me accountable, and thank You for keeping me safe all these miles on terrible tires. Help me pay careful attention to what I’ve heard so I don’t drift. Help me stay humble. God, thank You for Your Word that is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Thank You for being worthy to anchor my life to. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Promise for Today - In Search of Joy

They worshiped together at the Temple each day... praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.

Acts 2:46-47 (NLT)

Do you think church ought to be fun? I do!

Worship is a celebration. It’s a festival, not a funeral. It’s a party for the kingdom of God. Joyful worship attracts non-believers to the church, because people are looking for joy.

There’s so much bad news in the world. But “gospel” means “good news,” not “bad news.” The gospel is good news that makes people joyful! So when you gather with other Christians, you can celebrate, not commiserate. That’s what the early church did. Acts 2:46-47 says, “They worshiped together at the Temple each day... praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people” (NLT).

Notice two words there: “praising” and “enjoying.” Their worship was happy! God has given us lots of emotions to express, and one place we can express our happiness is in worship.

As Christians, we have been forgiven of our pasts, a purpose for living, and a home in heaven. If that doesn’t make you happy, I don’t know what will! As Peter said on the day the church was born, “Because of this, my heart will be glad, my words will be joyful, and I will live in hope” (Acts 2:26 CEV).

We don’t have to manufacture that joy on our own. Peter quoted King David, saying, “You have shown me the paths that lead to life, and your presence will fill me with joy” (Acts 2:28 GNT). When you know your path (God’s purpose for your life) and you feel God’s presence, you’re automatically filled with joy.

But it’s true that sometimes joy can fade. In that case, there are a couple of things to do. First, you can pray like David did, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (Psalm 51:12 NLT). And the next answer may surprise you: You can practice generosity! That’s what the early Christians did: “ All the believers . . . shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need” (Acts 2:44-45 NLT).

And how did they do it? “With great joy and generosity” (Acts 2:46 NLT).

Real Christianity is Good News for everyone. And that Good News makes you joyful!

Talk It Over

Why do you think joyful worship can be attractive to non-believers?

When have you experienced joy in worship?

Are you experiencing joy in worship lately? If not, take time to pray like David, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (Psalm 51:12 NLT).
- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

          We come before You today with a heart full of gratitude for Your goodness and faithfulness. Thank You for the gift of worship, for the music, the words, and the presence of Your Spirit in this place. Lord Jesus, You are the Prince of Peace and the Author of Joy. Fill our hearts with Your joy, not the fleeting happiness of the world, but the deep, abiding joy that comes from knowing You. Help us to see Your goodness in every moment, even in the midst of challenges, and to trust that Your joy is our strength. Holy Spirit, guide our hearts to worship You in spirit and in truth, not just with words but with our whole being. Remove every distraction, worry, or heaviness that hinders our praise. Let Your joy overflow into our lives and into the lives of those around us, so that others may also taste the joy of knowing You.
      Father, as we gather as Your people, let our worship be a celebration of Your love, a declaration of Your faithfulness, and a testimony of Your joy. May our time of prayer and praise be a source of renewal for our hearts, a reminder that the joy of the Lord is our strength, according to Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen