Promise for Today - Fishing for Good News

‘Come, follow me,’ he said, ‘and I’ll show you how to fish for people.’

Matthew 4:19 (CEB)

Have you heard and accepted the Good News of Jesus? If you have, you need to tell somebody else about it! In Matthew 4:20, Jesus called out to some fishermen: “‘Come, follow me,’ he said, ‘and I’ll show you how to fish for people.’ Right away, they left their nets and followed him” (Matthew 4:19-20 CEB).

What did he mean by that? He was basically telling the men, “I’ll show you how to change lives. I’ll show you how to get people into heaven. I’ll show you how to bring people to me. I’ll show you how to share the Good News.”

What about you? Is anybody going to be in heaven because of you? If you’re not fishing, you’re not following. In other words, if you’re not telling the Good News to somebody else, you’re not being a disciple. God expects you to share his Good News.

Think of it this way: If I knew the cure for cancer and kept it a secret, that would be unthinkably wrong! But the truth is that I know something better than that. I know how you can have your past forgiven, a purpose for living, and a home in heaven. And God calls me—and you—to share that Good News.

You’re going to heaven because somebody told you about Jesus. And somebody told that person about Jesus and so on. You don’t want that chain to break with you.

Jesus told his followers, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20 NLT).

You know the Good News. Now it’s time to go tell someone else about it!

Talk It Over

Who is the first person who told you the Good News about Jesus?

After you started following Jesus, who’s the first person you told about him?

Who do you need to share the Good News with this week?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

          Open doors for us to share Your Word with those hungry for it and give us the words to say when those opportunities come. Give us the boldness to open our mouths. Empower us with the Holy Spirit to deliver Your message to the world. Father, may we believe and receive Your Word in Acts 1:8, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." We know we cannot do this alone, and we ask for Your help and guidance as we strive to be a faithful witness to You. Remove any timidity that may cause us to hold back Your Words that others need to hear. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Baking Cakes

We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Most people don’t know that I am a “master” cake builder (at least my family thinks I am). Years ago, I decided to learn how to bake cakes. I figured that if I wanted to eat them, I ought to know how to make them. One of my favorite creations was one of the more difficult cakes to make: a German chocolate cake made from scratch for my wife’s birthday.

Making cakes has made me appreciate that the individual ingredients for a cake don’t taste good on their own. Some of them are quite bitter. If you eat flour by itself, it doesn’t taste good. If you eat baking powder or raw egg or oil by itself, you’ll regret it. Even the vanilla by itself doesn’t taste good. But if you mix them all together and bake it, it’s delicious.

One of the greatest promises of the Bible is in Romans 8:28: “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (NLT).

Notice that verse does not say that everything is good. A quick look at the news headlines proves that isn’t true. And it doesn’t say this promise is for everyone—just those who love God. The way God works all things together for good is kind of like baking a cake. God can make the bitter, better.

In your life and in the world, there will be elements that are bitter and unpleasant. You might think, “That doesn’t taste good. I don’t like that change in my life. I don’t like what’s happening in the world today.”

When you’re in a season of rapid and relentless change, and some things don’t taste very good, determine that you won’t become bitter by seeing only the negative in your circumstances. Because even when nothing makes sense, you can trust that God takes it all—the good and the bitter—and uses it for his good plan.

You can’t see it now, but you will taste its sweetness in heaven one day.

Talk It Over

How can focusing on the things you don’t understand make you bitter?

What do you need to focus on in a time of major change? How will it help you see clearly?

Why do you think God makes the promise of Romans 8:28 just for those who love and follow him?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

         We come before You with hearts that desire to get better, not bitter. Life’s challenges, trials, and disappointments often make us feel inclined toward resentment, but we know such an attitude does not reflect the Christlike spirit You desire in us. 

       We ask for Your grace to rise above pain, to choose forgiveness, and to let Your love rule in our hearts. Help us to see beyond the hurt and to learn from our experiences. Give us the strength to forgive others as You have forgiven us, and the wisdom to release the root of bitterness before it can corrupt our hearts. We trust that You are with us in every trial, as promised in Isaiah 43:2 — “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you… you will not be burned or scorched”.
       Thank You for Your unchanging love and for Your peace that cannot be taken away. Help us to focus on what can heal, not what can harm. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - To Tell the Truth

Stupid people always think they are right. Wise people listen to advice.

Proverbs 12:15 (GNT)

We all have blind spots. There are things in our lives that need correcting, but we can’t always see them. Why? Because we don’t always see ourselves clearly—and sometimes we just don’t want to. We don’t want to acknowledge the habits we’ve settled into that feel comfortable but keep us from growing.

That’s why God puts people around you to tell you the truth. Everybody needs somebody in their life who loves them enough to tell them the truth.

Do you have anyone like that in your life? Do you have any godly friends who don’t just tell you what you want to hear but love you enough to level with you?

If you don’t have people who speak the hard truths to you, that means you’re probably making a lot of avoidable mistakes. You need to identify the people in your life who encourage you to live like Jesus.

You also need to be that kind of person for others. Are you comfortable pointing out blind spots with grace and love to the people who matter most to you? In God’s family, that’s what we do for each other so we can grow into the people who God wants us to be.

This is why God hates pride so much. Pride makes us defensive and unteachable. When we are prideful, we build up walls and keep people at a distance. Then we can’t hear God’s voice speaking to us through others.

Proverbs 12:15 says, “Stupid people always think they are right. Wise people listen to advice” (GNT). God wants to use you to help others grow. He will speak through you - but it takes courage. And he will speak through other people to you - and that takes humility.

Maybe you’re thinking of someone right now. You’ve got a friend or sibling or coworker who is headed down the wrong path, and you see it clear as day - but you’ve said nothing. You’ve kept silent, telling yourself it’s none of your business.

But love cares. And when you care, you’re aware and you dare to share. When you care, you’re aware of each other’s blind spots, and you dare to share the truth with the other person. In those moments, God can use your words to bring life and encouragement.

Talk It Over

In what ways does spending time together with friends from your small group during the week, outside of your weekly meeting, help you build trust with each other?

How can you know when you are ready to receive, with humility, counsel from others?

When has God used someone to speak truth into your life? How did you respond?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

          Open our hearts to compassion, soften our spirits with humility, and grant us the courage to speak truth in love. We are asking for a heart that reflects Your love and mercy. Give us compassion for everyone we meet, that we may listen with patience, forgive readily, and speak with kindness even when words are hard. Grant us humility, that we may set aside pride, value others above ourselves, and recognize that all we are and have comes from You.
      Teach us to speak truth - not with harshness or selfish ambition, but with love and gentleness and honesty that builds up. Help us to listen before we speak, to choose words that honor God and bless others, and to resist the urge to speak from pride or to cover our faults.
       As we walk in humility, may our words and actions point others to Christ rather than to ourselves. Let our speech be a reflection of Your Word, and our hearts a place of peace, mercy, and truth. May our lives be a living prayer, showing the compassion of Jesus, the humility of the meek, and the integrity of the truth. In Jesus' Name we pray.  Amen

Promise for Today - Giving Out

I will bless you. . . . and you will be a blessing.

Genesis 12:2 (NIV)

Most Christians want to bless others through their time, talents, gifts, and resources. But it’s not just a desire. God commands you to be a blessing to others because you have been blessed.

As you look for ways to bless others, keep in mind the four laws of God’s blessing:

1. Your blessings should flow to others.
The Bible teaches that you are blessed not just so you can feel good or so that you can be happy and comfortable. You are blessed so that you can bless others. God told Abraham in Genesis 12:2, “I will bless you. . . . and you will be a blessing” (NIV). This is the first law of blessing: It must flow outwardly.

2. When you bless others, God takes care of your needs.
There’s almost nothing that God won’t do for the person who really wants to help other people. In fact, God guarantees that if you will concentrate on blessing others, he’ll take care of your needs. In Luke 18:29-30, Jesus says, “I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come” (NLT). When you focus on helping other people, God assumes responsibility for your problems. And that’s a real blessing—because he’s much better at handling your difficulties than you are.

3. Your blessings to others will come back to you.
The more you bless other people and the more you help others, the more God blesses your life. The Message paraphrase says, “Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing” (Luke 6:38).

You cannot out-give God. When you look for ways to try to bless others, it’s like God is saying, “I’m going to pour blessings out on you. We’ll play a little game here. Let’s see who will win. Let’s see who can give the most. The more you bless others, the more I’m going to bless you in return.”

4. The more God blesses you, the more he expects you to help others.
Jesus said it this way in Luke 12:48: “Much is required from the person to whom much is given; much more is required from the person to whom much more is given” (GNT).

Never be afraid to share God’s blessings. The more generous you are with sharing what God’s given you, the more you’ll see God blessing you in return.

Talk It Over

Think about some of the blessings God has given you. Which ones have you shared with others?

Based on how much God has blessed you, how much do you think he expects you to bless others?

What will you do to bless someone today?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

          Fill us with Your peace and compassion so we can be a blessing to others in hard times. Let our lives reflect Your love and hope, and Your light to a darkened world. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Emotional Disarmament

If someone does wrong to you, do not pay him back by doing wrong to him. Try to do what everyone thinks is right. Do your best to live in peace with everyone.

Romans 12:17-18 (NCV)

Do you think God can bring good out of something bad, like when you’re bullied or harassed?

You bet he can. It’s hard to see it and trust it in the moment. When someone wrongs you, you may be tempted to fight back or defend yourself. But God is just, and it’s his job to punish, restore, and turn things around for good.

“If someone does wrong to you, do not pay him back by doing wrong to him. Try to do what everyone thinks is right. Do your best to live in peace with everyone. My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong you, but wait for God to punish them with his anger. It is written: ‘I will punish those who do wrong; I will repay them,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:17-19 NCV).

Notice the words “do your best.” As much as it is possible, live in peace with everyone. That’s because God knows there are some people in life who are almost impossible to get along with. When you’re harassed or bullied, God doesn’t want you to retaliate. He wants you to walk away.

To that, you might say, “But you don’t know what they’ve done to me! They’ve hurt me. They've caused a lot of harm, and I want to get even.”

People who are bullies want to hook you. They want to get your attention and engage you—and then attack. They can’t stand it if you ignore them! This is also true online. It’s often hard to figuratively walk away from an attack in a comment thread on Facebook. But when you refuse to react, you’ve taken control away from bullies. If they can’t engage you, then they can’t control you.

Whenever you tell someone, “You make me so mad,” you’re admitting that you've given control of your emotions to somebody else. You don’t want to do that. You don’t want to give anyone power over your emotions.

Romans 12 says God gives you a choice: Either you can seek revenge yourself or you can trust God and let him avenge you. Who do you think can do a better job?

Refuse to retaliate. Walk away. Let it go! And let God do his work.

Talk It Over

What is a good way to end a conversation on social media in which you feel bullied?

Have you ever trusted God to handle a difficult situation rather than seeking revenge yourself? How did that turn out for you?

What are some practical tools you can use to control your emotions in a volatile situation so that you can respond how God wants you to?
- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

          We come before You today, asking for Your peace to guard our hearts and minds. We surrender every urge to react in anger, to hold grudges, or to be drawn into ongoing conflict. We release the need to control outcomes and to carry the emotional weight of others’ struggles.  As Your Word says in Romans 12:18, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” We choose peace over strife, and we ask You to remove the spirit of division, bitterness, and resentment from our hearts.
       Father, we bind every spirit of conflict and unbelief that seeks to stir up trouble. We cast out every seed of anger, jealousy, and misunderstanding. Silence the voices that incite division, and replace them with Your calm and wisdom. Clothe us with love, as Colossians 3:14 says, “Over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity”. Help us respond with gentleness, to forgive freely, and to walk in the peace that surpasses all understanding. 
     By Your Word, Lord, we declare that we will not be consumed by strife. We will stand firm in Your will, and let Your peace reign in our hearts and in our relationships. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Fed Up? Give Up!

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:29-30 (NIV)

Are you feeling overloaded? You may be trying to control things too much. We all do it, sometimes without even realizing it. We subconsciously act as if it all depends on us. We think we have to hold everything together. We think we have to make everything happen.

The greater your need to control things, the more overloaded, stressed, and empty you’re going to feel in life. You need to learn to give up control!

When you come to Jesus because you’re running on empty, your next step of obedience is this: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30 NIV).

When you get fed up, it’s time to give up control.

A yoke is not the middle of an egg (that’s a yolk). It’s the wooden frame you put over two animals so they can pull a piece of farm equipment together. The purpose of a yoke is to lighten the load, not to make it heavier. Sharing a yoke means sharing the load you’re carrying.

When you already feel like you’re carrying a heavy load, taking on Jesus’ yoke may sound like more of a burden. It’s actually the opposite—because when you’re not yoked to Jesus, you carry the burden alone, and you might move too fast and end up in a ditch.

But if you’re yoked to him, he shares the burden of the load with you, keeps your pace exactly where it needs to be, and helps you to stay on the right path.

Put simply, a yoke makes the load lighter, and it keeps you from getting in trouble. Galatians 5:25 says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (NIV).

You keep in step with God’s Spirit by being yoked to Jesus—partnering with him and letting him set the pace. Jesus was never in a hurry, and you won’t be either when you’re connected to him.

Talk It Over

Why do you think God doesn’t just take your burden away completely every time you come to him and ask for help?

What kind of pace do you want to have in your life? What kind of pace would bring health and rest?

Look again at Matthew 11:29-30. What does Jesus want you to do after you take on his yoke? How can you do that?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer: (from the Prayer Room)

Father,

          We confess that we have been trying to sort things out in our own lives for far too long, rather than handing over the reins of our lives to You. Lord, we know we cannot carry all our worries and anxieties in our own strength, and we are ready to cast them all upon You. Please forgive us for being self‑dependent instead of God‑dependent. Carry us now in Your loving arms, and help us to abide in You, trusting that Your grace is sufficient. Lead our steps according to Your perfect will, and fill our hearts with peace as we release the need to control every outcome. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Counter-Cultural

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:21 (NIV)

I don’t know if there’s anything more counter-cultural in our world today than responding to evil with good. And because it’s so counter-cultural, it can be one of the hardest things to do.

When someone is trying to make trouble in your life, you need to respond positively. But overcoming evil with good takes a step of faith, because everything in us often wants to overcome evil with evil and fight darkness with more darkness. That’s what the world tells us to do: Fight dirty. That’s why it takes faith to go against what the culture is telling you to do and instead trust God and respond to darkness with his light.

You fight darkness with light. You fight hatred with love. You fight unkindness with kindness. You don't let evil overcome you. You overcome evil with good. That’s tough to do. But it gets even tougher: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44 NIV).

Is that easy? No. Is it unusual? Yes. Is it a choice? Absolutely. It’s your choice to be better than your enemy. Choosing light over darkness means walking the way of Jesus. And Jesus wouldn’t just walk away from a fight and forget. He would lay down his life if that’s what he needed to do to show how much he loves someone—and that’s exactly what he did.

God doesn’t want you to retaliate. He also wants you to do good. He wants you to show love to even the hardest hearts by praying for them and asking God to give them hearts like his.

Jesus gave us the greatest example of responding in love and praying for our enemies. When you follow his example, you’re going to stand out in a world where everyone else thinks of themselves first.

Taking the step of faith to overcome evil with good will not always be easy, but it will make you a powerful witness for Jesus.

Talk It Over

In what ways did Jesus show us how to overcome evil with good and love our enemies?

Why do you think God wants us to pray for the people who bully or harass us? What difference does it make?

Have you ever consistently prayed for one of your enemies? How did that change your heart toward that person?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

           Give us the courage and wisdom to say “no” to sin and “yes” to Your will. When evil whispers, let us hear only Your Word. Guard our hearts and minds, and fill us with Your Spirit so we may walk in righteousness. Teach us to overcome evil with good, as You command in Romans 12:21, by choosing love over hatred, kindness over bitterness, and truth over falsehood. Strengthen our inner man, and let our actions reflect Your light in all we do. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen