Why Worry?

Worry.  That is something that people have struggled with for years, and now with the COVID-19 pandemic, worry seems to have gone rampant. 

When we worry and ask others for advice, we are always told it will be okay.  Don't think about it.  Things will work out.  It isn't that bad.  How many times have we gotten this kind of advice or given this kind of advice?

Too many to count!

It seems like life continually gives us something new to worry about every time we turn the corner.  My wife and I have had plenty of ups and downs in the past few years.  It seems like we have something new to worry about all the time.  There have been so many different health issues that we have lost count.

My wife was hospitalized 8 times from March 2019 through March 2020.  8 times.  I knew it was a lot, but when I counted, that number hit me.  Worry.  Worry has come in my life and take up residence so much over during this time.

Now with the pandemic, I came across what Jesus had to say about worry.  I would like to say I stumbled across it, but God hit me in the face with a tennis racket.  Jesus teaches about worry in Matthew 6.  Verses 25-34 touch on this and provide wisdom on worry and why we shouldn't worry at all.

My study Bible had a section that gave 7 reasons why we shouldn't worry!  Let's look at them and the relalting scripture:

1. The same God who created life in you can be trusted with the details of your life! (verse 25)
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?"

2. Worrying about the future can make us so focused on work that we fail to attend what is most important! (verse 26) "Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?"

3. Worry is more harmful than helpful! (verse 27) "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?"

4. God does not ignore those who depend on him! (verses 28-30) “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?"

5. Worry shows a lack of faith in and understanding of God! (verses 31-32) 31“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs."

6. Worrying keeps us away from what God wants us to pursue! (verse 33) "Seek the Kingdom of God
above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need"
7. Living one day at a time keeps us from being consumed by worry! (verse 34) “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."

WOW!


Hearing these 7 things made me pause and think about what God has to say about worry. When we put our faith and trust in the Lord, there is NOTHING that can't be done. We know who God is and what He is capable of, so why do we waste one second worrying. God knows what is best for us and our lives, so why can't we let go?

I am hoping that these 7 reasons allow you to let go of that worry and cast it away from you and anchor yourself in the love and faithfulness of Christ. Scripture is here for us to find comfort and answers in times of need. The more we dig deep in His Word and talk to him, the more we will find an inner peace.

As always, I connect things with music. I love the contemporary christian music, but hymns will always bring me back to my center and my childhood. They make me think of my grandparents, the 2 most influential people in my early christian walk. The showed me, my sister and all my cousins what it was to walk a christian life. That being said, as I was meditating and praying on this message, one song came to mind: I KNOW WHO HOLDS TOMORROW.

You can put your trust in that person today!

Faith Like Daniel

Thank you so much for taking time to come and visit my blog.  I am blessed that you have taken the time to share in the messages that the Lord has shared with me.  My hope is that you find something that helps you deepen your faith and your walk with the Lord.  That is my hope.  I do this to grow as a christian and in my own understanding of what God is saying and doing within me.

My message today is about Daniel.  We all know about Daniel being in the den of lions and how God shut the mouths of the lions to protect Daniel.  My message focuses on Daniel's faith and what the reason was that sent Daniel to the den in the first place.

I pray that when I am tested that I will have the faith in God that Daniel had.  I can totally see why Daniel was considered "beloved" to God.  Daniel's faith was the same day to day.  He didn't change his faith just because King Darius made a new order.  Daniel remained who he was.  That is where I want to get in my faith.  Where my faith is the same from day to day.

It is not promised to us that we will not go through trials because we are children of God.  We can expect to get pushed harder because we are.  Satan has to work harder to get in between us and God.

I will always share a song with my post.  I connect to God so much through music and can feel His complete presence.  I hope that you take the time to listen to the song posted because each song means so much to me.  Today's song is WE BELIEVE by Newsboys.  The lyrics speak for themselves.  After studying Daniel, I think he would wholeheartedly agree with the song.

I am praying for all of you daily.  I want God to work in your lives and use you in whatever way He sees fit.  Be open to what He is calling you to do.  

Our Rock and Fortress

As I was reading and praying this week, God laid this message on my heart.  He also wanted me to do it in a different fashion.  I decided to record my message and not just type the message.  Sometimes, people can get bogged down by reading so much and it is easier to relay that message with a video, so I tried to do that this time. 

It is my first time, and my phone was having storage issues, so I had to record it in 3 different videos.  The first is about 6 and a half minutes, the second 25 seconds and the last a minute and a half.  I pray that this gets better and that I can record without issues or interruptions.  Sorry that you have to click the 3 videos to hear the entire message that God laid on my heart.

My goal with the videos is the same as this blog, to see Jesus and the love of Christ.  I don't want you to see me.  I want you to hear the message that God has laid on my heart.  That is what our relationship with Him is about.  Totally being dependant on God.  As my message will say, committing your spirit into his hands (rough paraphrase of Psalms 31:5)

This song from Casting Crowns seems fitting.  In my sharing of the message, I want you to see God.  Not me.  This life is not about us.  It is about the one who gave us life.  I hope this message can help you connect with God and lead you to give your spirit to Him.

What's Filling Your Well?

During my devotion time today, I came across the story of the Samaritan woman and the well in John chapter 4.  This story is very well known, and the meaning behind the story is what makes this interaction so remarkable.

If you want, read John 4:1-34.  This is the scripture that I studied and prayed over this morning.

Before we jump in and talk about this, let's take a quick moment to pray for God's guidance:  Heavenly Father, thank you for another day to live for you.  We are thankful for your grace, mercy and providing hand.  I ask that you guide this discussion and that your blessing pour out that others may get the message that you have planned.  I ask this in your Son's Holy Name, Amen.

To set the stage, Jesus is making his journey to Galilee from Jerusalem.  It is the middle of the day.  The disciples are out looking for food.  While they are out, Jesus sits down near the well of Jacob.  A Samaritan woman approaches the well, and Jesus asks her to give him a drink.  This shocked the woman because Jews did not interact with Samaritans. 

The woman asked why he was asking her for a drink.  Verse 10 is how Jesus replies, "If you only knew the gift that God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water."

The next few verses, 11-14, basically goes like this:  The woman is confused and thinks he is talking about the well.  She tells Jesus that the well is very deep and that he doesn't even have a rope and a bucket.  She continues by asking who he thought he was.  Did he think he was greater than their ancestor Jacob who gave this well? 

Jesus response was both simple yet complex.  Those who drink water will soon be thirst, but those who drink the water I give will thirst no more.  It is fresh and provides eternal life. 

Let's look into this and dig deeper.  Jesus is showing us that his gift of salvation is for EVERYBODY.  He is also telling us that when we accept him that we will no longer thirst.  What a truly remarkable gift.  Just as our bodies need food and water, our souls need quenched, and when we accept the living water that is Christ, our souls will have all they will ever need. 

The woman still didn't completely understand who Jesus was and what he was telling her.  She was being very literal and thought she would never have to come and get more water.  Here is where Jesus makes himself known.  He asked her to go get her husband.  She told him she didn't have any.  Jesus said that is not only accurate, but she has had 5 husbands and the man she lived with was not even her husband, and that she spoke the truth.

What Jesus did with her and what he does with us.  He was making her come face to face with her sin.  The barrier was torn down and she was completely exposed and vulnerable.  God has this way of doing this with everyone.  He is showing this woman that she has to come to grips of her sin and who she is before she can appreciate and take from the well of living water. 

This is true for us just as it was for the Samaritan woman.  What is standing in your way in fully experiencing the living water from the well.  As you will find out, I am a huge Casting Crowns and Mark Hall fan.  In his book, THE WELL,  Mark uses the following description for the woman:  "She thinks she is standing beside a well talking to a man.  Instead, she is standing beside a hole in the ground.  And she is talking to the well."

Woah!  That is mind blowing.  It is also very accurate.  Jesus is our well.  He provides all we need.  We have to be careful not to put other things before Him.  When we do, we have our personal "wells" that pop up and we use those to fill us instead of the well of living water.  Don't let work, your spouse, you car, social media or anything else try to fill you.  You will soon find out that that supply will run out.  People in social media land will not provide lasting nourishment and will eventually let you down.  Only God, can and will provide all you need. 

Because music is such a huge part of how I communicate with God, I am going to share another song.  This one is coming from Casting Crowns again.  This song is dear to my heart and I am hoping at some point to share this with my church, Catawba United Methodist Church.

Before I close, I ask.  Is there anything that is standing between you and the well that provides living water?  If there is, all you have to do is look to God and ask him to forgive you.  Like the Samaritan woman, He already knows.  He just needs you to admit what you are doing and that you are fully turning to him and relying on His living water.  I am here to pray for you.

I will close with a word of prayer:  Our Gracious and Loving Heavenly Father, we thank you Lord for providing Living Water and being our never ending Well.  We are ready to rely on you and that your provide all we need.  During this time of great uncertainty, I pray that your people dip into your well to find the strength and courage needed to deal with this virus.  I pray that this message helps someone find that living water that you have for us all.  We ask these things in your Son's Holy Name, Amen

Being Like John the Baptist

As I was spending time in devotion yesterday, I opened to the Gospel of John and began reading the first chapter.  I read the first 28 verses.  I paused, prayed for God to speak to me through these verses, and went back and reread verses 6-28.  This time, I read it again, but read the footnotes in the bottom of my Bible.  I normally read the NLT, but also have my grandmother's old KJV Life Application Bible. 

Both of these Bibles offered me so much information, and after praying, God was speaking to me through the pages and scripture.  He wanted me to get something from the life of John the Baptist that I had never thought of before.  God has laid this on my heart and I believe he wants me to share this with others.

I would like to open with a quick word of prayer:  Our gracious Heavenly Father, we give you praise and glory for all the wonders and joy that you bring into our lives.  We thank you, Father, for being our strength, shield, counselor and comforter.  We know that you are in control and we look to you for guidance during this time.  I ask that you bless this message that you laid upon my heart that people see what you want them to see and long to serve you.  I ask this in your Son's name, Amen.

Like I stated earlier, I am focusing on John 1:6-28, so feel free to read that real quick before we continue. 

The message I continued to receive while reading this chapter was that we are called to be like John the Baptist. 

John the Baptist was a very important person in the life of Jesus, and all four Gospels talk about John.  Luke makes it evident how important John was going to be.  The angel Gabriel went and spoke to Zachariah before John was even created.  Luke 1:14-15 says, "You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at this birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord."   Verse 17 continues, "He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah.  He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord.  he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly."

Before we jump into what John talk about in chapter 1 of his Gospel, let us think about what we may think about and already know about John the Baptist.  Many of us think about the uniqueness of John the Baptist and the odd clothes he wore and the weird foods that he ate (locust).  Picture a man who lives in the wilderness who hasn't shaved for decades, not years, isn't in the normal social structure, and just plain looks like someone you would avoid on the streets at all cost.

Sounds like someone who would have trouble getting people to listen and follow what he is saying.  But as we know, God prepares the called and does not call the prepared.  One important factor I want everyone to understand is that although John the Baptist was very unique and different, it was his obedience to God that set him apart from others.  He knew what his role was, and he lived it.  As Mark Hall, lead singer of Casting Crowns, said in his teaching video on the song NOBODY, John the Baptist was sent to "point to the point".  John the Baptist knew it was his job to point people to Christ and his wonderful gift of salvation, and that is what we are called as christians to do today.  That is what verse 8 in John 1 is telling us, "John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light." 

As a Sunday school teacher, it is not about getting glory and recognition.  It is about making sure that people know who Christ is, what he did for us and what he can do for them if only they open their hearts and accept Him.  I am not the light, but I am to tell about it and share the great news about the light. 

Verse 15 tells us, "John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds."  That is what we are called to do as well.  People connect to our own testimonies and how God has worked in our lives.  It is one thing to read the scripture, but it is another to understand it on a personal level.  God uses the lives of others and ourselves to connect to people.  This allows us to be witnesses for Christ just like John the Baptist.  That is why I chose this title, and why I feel God laid this on my heart.  He wants us to understand that we are to use our story, our trials, successes, failures and testimonies to point people to the point (Jesus).  We are no different than John the Baptist.

As I have heard from my grandmother many times in my life, we may be the only Bible or Jesus that some people see.  Others gain strength, will, and determination from watching what someone else goes through.  These people are a living example of Christ and it is contagious. 

Verse 27 says, "Though his ministry follows mine, I'm not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal."  John is telling us that compared to Christ we are nobody.  Meaning, there is only 1 who is somebody, and that is Jesus Christ.  Think about it, if John the Baptist views himself as a "nobody" compared to Christ then that is what I want to be.  I am not worthy of all he has done for me.  John continued to preach and spread the word about Jesus and give all Glory to Him.  That is what I want to do and what I am encouraging you to do.  You may be the only John the Baptist someone sees that is meant to point them to Christ. 

A friend of mine wears a bracelet that says, "Not about me".  John the Baptist was the epitome of that saying and what we as Christians need to remember.  It's not about me.  It's about the one who created me.  In the words of Casting Crowns and Mark Hall, "I'm just a nobody.  Trying to tell everybody, all about somebody, who saved my soul."  That is what I feel that God wanted you to get from this.  I am going to share the video to Casting Crowns song, "NOBODY".  I feel it is a fitting way to bring this message to a close.

Let us close with a word of prayer:  Father in Heaven, we thank you for your servant John the Baptist and the example he set for us to follow.  We thank you for your Son, and your gift of salvation.  We are unworthy of it all.  All because you want us.  Father, thank you for giving us the ability to witness to people to share the great news and the glory of your salvation.  May we all know that we are like John the Baptist and we strive to be that person who is points others to the point.  We give all of these praises in your Son's Holy name, Amen

About Me

Welcome to my new blog, Point to the Point.

I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was 13, so about 28 years now.  I have been truly blessed in my life.  The Lord has been truly faithful.

During my walk with Christ, I have found more and more of who I am in him.  I have been part of the youth choir, our contemporary worship team, Sunday school teacher, Assistant Sunday School Superintendent, and church facebook pagemaster.

My family (wife Lisa and son Cameron) and I have attended Catawba United Methodist Church for about 4 years and officially became members a year ago.  The Lord has placed a calling on my life to share the Gospel.  I have recently started the application process of becoming a Certified Lay Servant in the United Methodist Church.  My plan is to follow the path that God has called me.

The purpose of my blog is twofold.  The first is to share my journey in my faith and process of becoming a certified Lay Servant, and the second is to share my the good news of Christ's love.

The Lord provides us with different gifts so that we can use them for the Glory of God.  I took a spiritual gift test a while ago, and here is the list my top 5 gifts:

1. Exhortation
2. Healing
3. Miracles
4. Pastor/Shepherd
5. Teacher

Here is what the descriptions have to say about these gifts:

EXHORTATION: The gift of exhortation is the divine strength or ability to strengthen, comfort or urge others to action through the written or spoken word and Biblical truth.

HEALING: The gift of healing is the divine strength or ability to act as an intermediary in faith, prayer, and by the laying-on of hands for the healing of physical, mental and spiritual sickness.

MIRACLES: The gift of miracles is the divine strength or ability to alter the natural outcomes of life in a supernatural way through prayer, faith, and divine direction.

PASTOR/SHEPHERD: The gift of pastor/shepherd is the divine strength or ability to care for the personal needs of others by nurturing and mending life issues.

TEACHER: The gift of teaching is the divine strength or ability to study and learn from the Scriptures primarily to bring understanding and depth to other Christians.

I can completely see these gifts in my life, and I feel it is my duty as a Christian to use these gifts to Glorify God. I pray that God uses me in whatever way He feels necessary. That is our call. That, and to win people for Christ. We are to be the Point to the Point!