Alive & Well

How Do We Fight Against Materialism?

How Do You Fight Materialism & Worry
 
The Cambridge dictionary states that Materialism is the belief that having money and possessions is the most important thing in life. 
 
John Stott calls it a preoccupation with the temporary and passing things instead of the eternal realities of a life with God.  Charles Swindoll says that materialism eventually erodes the passion we have for Christ. 
 
And Jesus in Matthew 6 expresses how materialism can create the unnecessary worries of life.
 
Materialism isn’t new — it’s ancient.  Ecclesiastes says “whoever loves money will never have enough…”
 
How does Materialism create worry?
 
1. Materialism Challenges Our Investment (Matthew 6:19–21) — Earthly treasures are vulnerable—they can decay, lose value, or be taken away. But when we invest our lives and resources in Christ, nothing is wasted; what is surrendered to Him becomes an eternal treasure that can never be lost.
 
2. Materialism Blinds Our Perception (Matthew 6:22–23) — Materialism convinces us that happiness is found in having more, but “more” is always just out of reach. Greed and covetousness distort our vision, causing us to trust possessions for security instead of finding contentment and joy in God’s provision.
 
3. Materialism Reveals Our Allegiance (Matthew 6:24) — Jesus teaches that the issue is not how much money we have, but who is in control of our hearts. If money defines our security, drives our decisions, or controls our emotions, it has become our master; but when God is on the throne, our finances become a tool to serve His purposes.
 
How do we fight against Worry?
 
#1. Trust in God’s Provision (Matthew 6:25-30) — Worry drives us to look at the jar half empty and does not grant serenity Worry can take a complicated situation and turn it into a complex problem.  It like our lives are stuck on zoom, and faith helps us zoom back out and put God back into the picture!
 
#2. Find Reassurance in God’s Love (Matthew 6:26, 30, 32) — Jesus points to the birds and flowers as reminders of the Father’s care. If God faithfully feeds, clothes, and sustains His creation, how much more will He care for those He loves and calls His own?  Jesus places deep value on your life and He is aware of your needs!
 
#3. Make God Your Priority (Matthew 6:33) — Making God your priority means looking for Him consistently in every opportunity and honoring Him in every circumstance.  Every moment of our lives can become an opportunity to notice God working in us to reflect HIs image through our character and behavior.  And never forget to remember God’s sustaining faithfulness, HIs mercies are new every morning and His grace is abundant over your life!
 
#4. Live One Day at a Time (Matthew 6:34) — Today, I would encourage you to be more desperate for God than anything else in this world; because today is the day you get to breathe.  You get to breathe in His love, His mercy, His joy, His peace, because He gave up His breath for you on the cross when He finished the battle of worry over your life!

What Has the Authority in Your Life?

Who Has Authority Over Your Life?
 
Matthew 8 | Jesus’ Authority Over Shame, Fear, Homes, and Darkness
 
Hey thanks for tuning in today to the alive and well Podcast.  It’s my hope and prayer that today you find inspiration in something you hear only so that you can live out your life as a fully devoted follower of Jesus empowered by the Holy Spirit! 
 
So, today I want to ask a question that sounds simple, but it may reveal more about our lives than almost anything else: What or better yet Who has authority over your life? Authority is never neutral. The voices we continually obey eventually begin shaping who we become. Fear , shame, wounds, addictions, successes, disappointments, and even our diagnoses can become authorities in our lives. Matthew chapter 8 quietly forces us to wrestle with this question: Whose voice will have the final word?
 
Before Matthew 8, after Jesus preaches His Sermon on the Mount,  the people make an interesting observation. They say Jesus taught “as one having authority,” not like the scribes or religious teachers they were accustomed to hearing. (Matt. 7:28-29) In Matthew 8, Jesus does not merely claim authority—but He begins to demonstrates it.
 
Matthew 8 introduces us to people who had been living under other authorities for a very long time. The leper had lived beneath the authority of shame. The disciples had lived beneath fear. The demonized men had lived beneath darkness. The sick had lived beneath suffering. Maybe for years those voices spoke louder than hope. Then Jesus walks in to the conversation—and not merely to heal or comfort, but to speak authority into these peoples conditions.
 
The first story is the leper. In biblical culture, leprosy wasn’t simply a disease; it was a social death sentence. Lepers lived isolated from family, worship, and community. According to Leviticus, they were required to cry out, “Unclean! Unclean!” Imagine your identity becoming your condition. Imagine introducing yourself by your shame. Yet when this man comes to Jesus, something shocking happens. Instead of announcing his uncleanness, he announces his faith: “Lord, if You are willing…” For years his identity had been rejection, isolation, and shame. Suddenly mercy seemed possible. Maybe your leprosy isn’t physical. Maybe it’s regret, bitterness, addiction, anxiety, or hidden sin. Perhaps for years you’ve quietly believed, This is just who I am. Jesus has authority not only over your condition—but over the identity attached to your condition.
 
Then Matthew tells the story of the centurion. This Roman officer says something remarkable: “Lord…just speak the word.” He understood authority. He knew when authority speaks, things move. He believed Jesus had authority over sickness, distance, timing, and impossibility. Sometimes we spend our lives begging for another sign from God, when faith means trusting the Word He has already spoken. Maybe today you need Jesus to speak into grief, fear, confusion, or family burdens. Or maybe the deeper question is: Will you allow His Word to have the final word?
 
Then Jesus enters Peter’s house. I love this part because it reminds us Jesus doesn’t only care about public ministry—He cares about homes. Families. Private burdens. Quiet struggles no one sees. Before healing Peter’s mother-in-law, Jesus noticed her. He saw her. Maybe your greatest prayer today isn’t, “Lord bless my ministry.” Maybe your prayer is, “Lord, enter my house. Heal what’s broken. Touch what’s heavy. Speak into what I cannot fix.” Because Christ’s authority belongs not only in churches but in living rooms.
 
Then comes the storm. Chaos surrounds the disciples and panic fills their hearts. Meanwhile, Jesus is asleep. Perhaps because sometimes He allows storms long enough to teach us that the storm is not our master. Fear says, “You’re sinking.” Circumstances say, “This defines your future.” But Jesus rises and rebukes the chaos. I love that image. He doesn’t negotiate with storms. He speaks—and peace comes. Maybe your circumstances are loud right now. But louder still is Christ.  Trust He will wake up just in time!
 
Finally, Matthew shows Jesus confronting darkness itself through the demonized men. Every hero story has darkness, oppression, and hopelessness before someone stronger arrives. Yet what’s interesting here is the demons do not fight Jesus—they recognize Him. Darkness always knows when true authority enters the room. And what unsettles me most is that the townspeople seem disturbed by the freedom. Why? Because sometimes bondage becomes familiar. People adjust to bitterness, anxiety, addiction, anger, and unforgiveness until chains feel normal. But Jesus disrupts what darkness controls because He has authority over darkness too.
 
So today I’ll leave you with this question: Whose voice has final authority over your life? Fear? Shame? Family history? Failure? Addiction? Circumstances? Or Christ? Because the greatest miracle in Matthew 8 is not simply healing. The miracle is transfer of authority. People stop living beneath one rule and come beneath another.
 
And maybe that’s what Jesus is inviting you into today. But first, you must accept His gift of Salvation, maybe the greatest disease you will ever face is the disease of sin; and Jesus redeems you from sin’s authority over your life, all you have to do is confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus died to save you and rose again to give you life; a life where you can now worship Him and not your sin, your addiction, your pain, your sorrow or your shame.  Today, say this prayer and invite Jesus to have the authority in your life and make Him Lord!
 
Dear Jesus,  I believe you died on the cross for my sin and that you rose again.  So that sin no longer has authority over my life.   You give life, and so I make you my Lord and Savior.  Have the final word from this day forward, in Jesus name Amen!
 
Hey I hope that you found something today that inspired your heart and your faith in Christ.  If you liked what you heard, please subscribe or leave a comment.  God loves you so live like your blessed and covered by God’s favor Today.  Thanks for listening.

Awaken Your Gifts

Awaken Your Gifts
 
Hey thanks for tuning in today to the alive and well Podcast.  I’m a pastor at Awaken Church in Rome, NY and these short messages are the summary of my sermons each week.  It’s my hope and prayer that today you find inspiration in something you hear only so that you can live out your life as a fully devoted follower of Jesus empowered by the Holy Spirit! 
 
Every believer has a role to play in the life of the body. The problem is that many believers never discover the part God designed them to play. God has placed gifts in each of us—abilities, callings, and ministries. Yet many believers live spiritually under-resourced.
 
I want to talk today about how important it is to fan into flame the gifts of God in your life, its time to awaken your spiritual gifts!
 
Years ago, the great preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon was visiting some elderly residents who lived in small apartments connected to his church. As he often did, he walked around one woman’s little room looking at the few treasures she had—an old photograph, a clock that didn’t work, a couple of decorations.
 
But something else caught his attention.; On the wall was a framed piece of paper. Spurgeon asked her, “What is that you have framed?” The woman said, “Oh, that reminds me of a kind old man I cared for many years ago when he was dying. Before he passed, he said he wanted to thank me, so he wrote his name on that paper. I framed it to remember him.” Spurgeon asked if he could take a closer look. When he examined it, he realized something astonishing. That “piece of paper” wasn’t just a signature. It was a check. He took it to the bank, and the bank manager confirmed that the money had been sitting there for years—unclaimed.
Spurgeon returned to the woman and asked, “Why are you living here in poverty?”  She said, “Because I have no money.” Spurgeon replied, “My dear lady, you are mistaken. You’ve been wealthy for years—you just didn’t know it.” She had lived in poverty while provision hung on her wall.
 
And I sometimes wonder if the church is living the same way spiritually. God has placed gifts in each of us—abilities, callings, and ministries. Yet many believers live spiritually under-resourced. Some believers have placed their gifts in a frame instead of fanning them into a flame. Before we talk about developing spiritual gifts, we need to understand where they come from.
 
Spiritual gifts are ultimately a reflection of the life of the Trinity.
 
In Book of Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let us make man in our image.” Humanity was created to reflect the life and activity of God, and spiritual gifts are one way that believers reflect that image.
First, the gifts reveal the generosity of the Father. The book of Epistle of James says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above.” Spiritual gifts are not earned, deserved, or demanded—they are acts of divine generosity. As Sam Storms once said, “Spiritual gifts are not rewards for maturity but resources for ministry.”
Second, the gifts reflect the model of the Son. Every spiritual gift we see in Scripture was perfectly expressed in the life of Jesus—teaching, wisdom, healing, leadership, mercy. Jesus said in Gospel of John 14:12, “Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing.” Jack Hayford said it well: “The gifts of the Spirit are the continuing ministry of Jesus through His body.”
And third, the gifts reveal the power of the Spirit. In Acts of the Apostles 1:8, Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” Without the Spirit, ministry becomes effort without effect. Preaching becomes words without transformation. Church becomes program without power. But when the Spirit moves, faith awakens, lives are changed, and the power of God flows.
 
The second truth about spiritual gifts is that their diversity reveals the interdependence of the body.
 
Paul tells us in First Epistle to the Corinthians 12 that the church is a body. That means the church was never designed to be a platform for one superstar. Sometimes in modern church culture we can start to think everything depends on one great preacher, one gifted leader, or one dynamic personality. But Paul says, “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you.’” Every part matters. History reminds us how true that is. When the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986, investigators discovered the disaster was caused by something incredibly small—a rubber O-ring that failed in cold temperatures. That tiny part brought down an entire spacecraft. The Bible already taught that principle. What looks small may actually be essential.
 
I learned something similar when I broke my ankle years ago. Before that, I never thought much about my ankle. Nobody compliments your ankles. Nobody builds a career around them. But when that ankle stopped working, suddenly my whole body felt it—walking changed, balance changed, everything slowed down.
 
One weak part affects the entire body. And the same thing happens in the church. When believers don’t use their gifts, a few people carry too much, burnout increases, and the body weakens. The church is not a platform for a few people to perform. It’s a body where every member matters.
 
The final truth is this: spiritual gifts are empowerment for divine assignments.
 
Scripture tells us that each believer receives at least one gift. The Spirit distributes them according to God’s purpose. Sometimes those gifts appear in specific moments of ministry—when the assignment requires them. In Book of Ezekiel 37, the prophet saw a valley full of dry bones. They were scattered, lifeless, and disconnected. But when God spoke, the bones began to rattle and come together—bone to bone. Then God breathed into them, and the body came alive. That’s a picture of the church. When every part finds its place and every gift awakens, the body becomes alive with the breath of God.
 
But Paul gives us two important final reminders.
 
First, he says in First Epistle to the Corinthians 12:1, “I do not want you to be ignorant about spiritual gifts.” In other words, don’t live the Christian life unaware of how God designed you to function.
 
And second, Paul reminds us that spiritual gifts are not the same as spiritual maturity. In chapter 13 he says, “If I have all gifts but have not love, I am nothing.”
 
The true mark of a Spirit-filled life is the fruit of the Spirit—love, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness. When character and charisma come together, the church becomes a powerful force for change.
 
So where do we start?
 
We start with hunger—a desire for more of God.
 
Then we move to surrender—allowing the Spirit to work through us.
 
And finally we move to exercise. Spiritual gifts are not badges to admire; they are muscles meant to be used.
 
Some believers have framed their gift. But God is calling His church to fan it into flame.
 
Before we close today, I want to speak to anyone listening who may not yet have a relationship with Jesus. The Bible tells us that before we can fully experience the life God designed for us—including the gifts and calling He has placed in us—we first need to receive the greatest gift of all: salvation through Jesus Christ. Maybe as you’ve listened today, you’ve sensed that God is stirring something in your heart. That’s not an accident. That’s the Holy Spirit drawing you. The good news is that Jesus came to forgive our sins, restore our relationship with God, and give us new life. The Bible says in Epistle to the Romans 10:9 that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved.
 
Salvation isn’t about becoming perfect. It’s about surrendering your life to the One who loves you perfectly. If you would like to begin that relationship with Jesus today, I’d like to lead you in a simple prayer.
 
Just pray this with me, wherever you are:
 
Lord Jesus,
I come to You today just as I am.
I confess that I have sinned and that I need Your forgiveness.
 
I believe that You died on the cross for my sins
and that You rose again so I could have new life.
 
Today I turn away from my old life
and I surrender my heart to You.
 
Be my Savior.
Be my Lord.
 
Fill my life with Your Spirit
and help me walk in the purpose You created me for.
 
From this day forward, I choose to follow You.
 
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
 
If you prayed that prayer today, the Bible says that you are now a new creation in Christ. Your journey with God has just begun. And remember—God not only saves us, He also fills us, empowers us, and calls us to be part of His body. So , again don’t just frame the life God has given you. Let Him fan it into flame and Burn for Jesus!
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Hey I hope that you found something today that inspired your heart and your faith in Christ.  If you liked what you heard, please subscribe or leave a comment.  God loves you and if you are looking for a church, please visit Awaken church online at awakenrome.com for more information or better yet come visit us on on a Sunday morning @ 10am. Live like your blessed and covered by God’s favor Today.  Thanks for listening.

Business of the Body of Christ

The Business of the Body of Christ
 
Hey thanks for tuning in today to the alive and well Podcast.  I’m a pastor at Awaken Church in Rome, NY and these short messages are the summary of my sermons each week.  It’s my hope and prayer that today you find inspiration in something you hear only so that you can live out your life as a fully devoted follower of Jesus empowered by the Holy Spirit! 
 
I want to share a simple but powerful idea that sits at the heart of the New Testament Church:
The Church exists to make the invisible Christ visible to the world.
From the very beginning, God has revealed Himself through a body.
In Genesis, God revealed His image through humanity.
In the Old Testament, He revealed Himself through Israel.
In the Gospels, Jesus became flesh — God visible among us.
And now, God reveals Himself through the Body of Christ — the Church.
So the business of the Church is not survival, activity, or reputation.
It is reflection.
We exist to reflect the life of Jesus to a world that desperately needs hope.
 
In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul urges believers to “walk worthy of the calling you have received.”
Now “worthy” doesn’t mean deserving. It means living in proportion to something of great weight.
Imagine an ancient marketplace scale. A heavy weight is placed on one side, and goods are added to the other until the scale balances.
Paul is saying God has already placed something infinitely heavy into our lives — His grace, His salvation, His Spirit, and His calling.
We don’t live worthy to earn grace.
We live worthy because grace already changed us.
We honor the weight of what Christ has poured into us.
 
And one of the clearest ways we reflect Christ is how we treat one another.
The Church is not an event — it’s a people.
Advice columnist Abigail Van Buren once said,
“The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”
Museums display finished perfection. Hospitals welcome broken people who need healing.
Nobody walks into an emergency room and complains that sick people are there — that’s the whole point.
In the same way, spiritual growth takes time. It’s messy. It’s uneven.
So Scripture calls us to greet one another, forgive one another, bear burdens, encourage, pray, and show hospitality.
Growth requires patience.
We walk patiently.
We extend grace.
We refuse to demand perfection.
And we commit to the process of transformation — both in ourselves and in others
 
Paul also reminds us that unity is not something we create — it’s something we preserve.
When we are saved, we are adopted into a family God already formed.
Think about a family reunion dinner. You didn’t choose every personality at the table. You didn’t vote on who belongs. You were born into the same family.
The relationship existed before your opinion did.
In the same way, the cross created unity before we ever experienced it.
Our responsibility is to guard it — by refusing gossip, assuming the best, addressing conflict quickly, and valuing people over preferences.
Because unity makes Christ visible
 
But we cannot live this life in human strength alone.
Paul says grace has been given to each believer.
Human effort is like rowing a boat — exhausting and limited.
Resurrection power is like raising the sail — the wind provides the movement.
God never gives a calling without giving grace.
Human strength eventually burns out.
But resurrection power carries us beyond natural limits because it flows from a risen Christ.
Christianity is not about trying harder.
It is about living empowered by new life.
 
And this is where everything becomes personal.
Before we can reflect Christ, we must first receive Christ.
Isaiah 61 says Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted, free the captive, and give beauty for ashes.
The Bible tells us all of us have sinned. We’ve tried to live life powered by our own wisdom and strength — and it always leaves us empty.
But Jesus came, died for our sins, and rose again so we could experience resurrection life — not self-improvement, but transformation.
Maybe today you feel far from God.
Maybe you feel broken, tired, or spiritually stuck.
The good news is this: God is not asking you to fix yourself first.
He is inviting you to come home.
If you want to receive forgiveness and begin a new life with Jesus, I want to invite you to pray with me right now — wherever you are.
 
Lord Jesus,
I believe You are the Son of God.
I believe You died for my sins
and rose again with resurrection power.
 
Today I turn from my old life
and I place my trust in You.
 
Forgive me.
Make me new.
Bring me into Your family.
 
Fill me with Your Spirit
and teach me to walk in Your ways.
 
From this day forward,
my life belongs to You.
 
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
 
Hey I hope that you found something today that inspired your heart and your faith in Christ.  If you liked what you heard, please subscribe or leave a comment.  God loves you and if you are looking for a church, please visit Awaken church online at awakenrome.com for more information or better yet come visit us on on a Sunday morning @ 10am. Live like your blessed and covered by God’s favor Today.  Thanks for listening.

Stop and Rest

STOP AND REST
 
Hey thanks for tuning in today to the alive and well Podcast.  I’m a pastor at Awaken Church in Rome, NY and these short messages are the summary of my sermons each week.  It’s my hope and prayer that today you find inspiration in something you hear only so that you can live out your life as a fully devoted follower of Jesus empowered by the Holy Spirit! 
 
Have you ever noticed that we’ve never had more apps, devices and technology to save time… and yet we are still super busy in our lives?
 
A recent survey of over 20,000 Christians across 139 countries found that more than 4 in 10 believers say they often rush from task to task. Six out of ten say the busyness of life regularly gets in the way of their relationship with God.
 
We are busy.
We are tired.
And if we’re honest—many of us are depleted.
 
In an average 70-year lifespan, we spend 21 years sleeping, 14 years working, 6 years eating, 6 years traveling, and even a full year just looking for lost keys and phones. And that doesn’t include the emotional weight we carry every day.
 
Add to that smartphones, apps, AI, constant notifications—and somehow life feels like it’s spinning even faster.
 
We invented calendars.
We invented alarms.
We invented productivity apps.
And yet our souls are restless.
 
The irony is strong. For  this isn’t new. From the very beginning, God built a rhythm into creation called Sabbath. After six days of forming the world, God rested—not because He was tired, but because He was teaching us something. Rest wasn’t a reward for work. It was a gift. A rhythm. A way of living in trust.
 
Sin disrupted that rhythm. Rest became toil. Joyful partnership with God became exhausting in endless striving.
 
When God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt, He reintroduced the Sabbath as a declaration: You are no longer slaves. Rest now became an act of faith—a reminder that God is the Provider, Redeemer and Rescuer!
 
But over time, even Sabbath became heavy. Regulated. Complicated. Burdensome.
 
Then Jesus came.
 
And He didn’t just teach about rest—He became our rest.  Rest was not about stopping activity, it was about pursuing a relationship.
 
He said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
 
Notice what He didn’t say.
He didn’t say, “Fix yourself first.”
He didn’t say, “Try harder.”
He didn’t say, “Be better.”
 
He said, “Come.”
 
There are different kinds of exhaustion.
 
Some of us are overworked, like Martha—doing good things, but missing the Better part at Jesus’ feet like Mary found.
 
Some of us are battle-weary—fighting spiritual battles in our own strength, in our flesh and in our own physical power.
 
Some are wounded, carrying shame or pain we’ve tried to hide from sin and mistakes that seem to heavy to bear.
 
Some are overstimulated, pulled in a hundred different directions by a world that is constantly demands more and exasperating our very souls.
 
And some are just spiritually exhausted—trying to carry these burdens God never asked us to carry.
 
Jesus says, “Take My yoke upon you.”
 
What is His yoke?
 
It means you are joined to a God who is sovereign—you don’t have to control everything.
You are connected to a God who is providential—you don’t have to fix and provide everything.
And you are linked up with a God who is compassionate—so you don’t have to perform or earn His love.
 
Hebrews says there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God—and we enter that rest by faith.
 
Saint Augustine once said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
 
Maybe the reason vacations haven’t fixed it…
Maybe the reason days off haven’t healed it…
Is because true rest isn’t found in stopping activity alone—it’s found in trusting Christ fully.
 
If your soul feels restless today, Jesus is still saying the same thing:
 
“Come to Me.”
 
Rest is not a day on the calendar.
It’s a Person.
 
And His rest is still available today. And maybe for some of you listening, this isn’t just about slowing down.
 
It’s about surrender.
 
Maybe you’ve been carrying regret you can’t undo…
Wounds you didn’t deserve…
Anxiety you can’t silence…
Sin you can’t shake…
 
And the exhausting part isn’t just the weight—
It’s how long you’ve been carrying it alone.
 
Jesus doesn’t say, “Clean yourself up first.”
He says, “Come.”
 
Salvation doesn’t begin with effort.
It begins with surrender.
 
If you’ve never truly given your life to Jesus…
Or maybe you did once, but somewhere along the way you picked the baggage back up…
Right now, you can come back.
 
If you’re ready to lay your burdens down and receive His forgiveness and His rest, I want to pray with you.
 
Right where you are—driving, walking, sitting at home—just pray this in your heart:
 
Jesus,
I come to You just as I am.
I’m tired of carrying what I was never meant to carry.
I believe You died for my sins
and rose again to give me new life.
 
Forgive me.
Heal me.
Restore me.
Today I lay my baggage down.
I receive Your grace.
I receive Your rest.
Be my Savior.
Be my Lord.
 
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
 
If you just prayed that prayer, that’s not the end—that’s the beginning. Reach out to a Bible-believing church, tell someone you trust, and start walking daily with Jesus.
 
Friend, real rest is found in Him.
And He is still saying,
“Come.”
 
Hey I hope that you found something today that inspired your heart and your faith in Christ.  If you liked what you heard, please subscribe or leave a comment.  God loves you and if you are looking for a church, please visit Awaken church online at awakenrome.com for more information or better yet come visit us on on a Sunday morning @ 10am. Live like your blessed and covered by God’s favor Today.  Thanks for listening.

Don't Stop Reading

Doctors will tell you that gradual hearing loss is dangerous—because you don’t notice it happening. You don’t wake up deaf. You just start saying, “What?” a little more often.
That’s how Scripture drift happens. You don’t stop believing the Bible—you just stop opening it. And over time, God’s voice seems quieter—not because He stopped speaking, but because we stopped listening.
 
I want to give you 5 reasons to stick with the Bible from Psalm 119, Let’s Dive in!
 
Relationships don’t survive based on one-way conversations.If prayer is us talking to God, the Bible and the scriptures that we read is God talking to us. 
 
Yet, Most people don’t stop reading the Bible because they don’t love God or want a relationship with Him. They stop because they’re busy… discouraged… confused… or they didn’t feel anything.
 
But consistency—not intensity—is what forms spiritual life. God doesn’t only speak in emotional moments—He speaks through faithful attention.  Faithful daily bible reading.
 
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Five Reasons to Stick with the Bible
 
1. It Revives the Soul
 
“Revive me according to Your word” (v. 25)
Paul Washer once said, “If you don’t read the Bible, you’re going to die.”
Whatever is draining the life out of you, the Word of God will restore back unto you!
 
Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of God is living and active. At the center of every revival—personal or corporate—is sound biblical teaching.
 
I think about the question I popped to my wife stacey 26 years ago that would change everything:  “Will you marry me?” I knew Stacey would probably say yes—but until she spoke the word, there was still uncertainty.
 
It’s the same with God’s Word. Until we bow our knee and listen with humility, proposing to Him those deep soul searching questions;  we’re only guessing what God might say.   Yet God’s word when we hear it with humility and with grace it often bring life and peace to our troubled soul.
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2. It Cleanses the Soul
 
 
“How Can a young man keep his way pure, but by heeding to the Word of God (v. 19)
 
Paul tells us Scripture is God-breathed—useful for teaching, correcting, and training in righteousness.
 
John Bunyan said it best:
“This Book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this Book.”
 
The Word washes us. Like cold water on a burn—it prevents the blistering. Like brushing your teeth daily—it keeps decay from setting in.
 
We live in a fallen world constantly shaping unhealthy desires and perspectives. The Bible must become the algorithm of your life—the filter that shapes how you see everything else.  It cleanses, purifies and sanctifies your thought life and can shape holy behavior.
 
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3. It Anchors the Soul
 
“YOU’RE MY HIDING PLACE AND MY SHIELD. I HOPE IN YOUR WORD.”– PSALM 119:114
 
Most of us don’t anchor our souls in Scripture anymore—we anchor them in Google.
 
Before we pray, we search. Before we ask God, we ask the internet.
But when the storm hits, you don’t need better Wi-Fi—you need an anchor.
 
Psalm 1 says the blessed person delights in God’s Word and becomes like a tree planted by streams of water—stable, rooted, unshaken.
 
In an age of deconstruction and disillusionment, Scripture anchors us—not experience, not emotion, not charisma—but truth.  And I’m not talking truth from an academic or scholarly perspective.  I’m talking about scripture jumping off the page and bringing the conviction of faith in what we know is true in God, and that truth casts out all our fear and unbelief in the middle of life’s storms.   
 
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4. It Delights the Soul
 
“HOW SWEET ARE YOUR WORDS TO MY TASTE, SWEETER THAN HONEY TO MY MOUTH.”(PSALM 119:103)
 
I wasn’t a reader. I watched the movie, skipped the book, and still passed the test.
 
But when God started calling me, something changed. The Word stopped being a duty and became a desire. God gave me new tastebuds on the tongue of my heart.
 
The psalmist prayed, “Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law.”
Why pray that? Because holy hunger is a gift from God.
 
The more you read the Word, the more your soul learns to love it.  It’s an insatiable activity.  You will never get enough, or dive deep enough once you start reading.  This is what Mary found and Martha was too busy for.
 
⸻
 
5. It Directs the Soul
 
Psalm 119 says God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. (v. 105)
 
John Sung believed Scripture wasn’t an accessory—it was a compass. Talent didn’t direct his life; the Word did.
 
Like Icarus in Greek mythology—who didn’t die from lack of wings, freedom, or opportunity—but from rejecting the direction of his father—many lives drift because they refuse guidance.
 
Ambition isn’t the enemy. Ambition without direction is.
 
If you want life to turn out the way it’s supposed to—read God’s directions.
 
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Closing Invitation
 
Lastly let me echo the words of James which says, “Don’t just hear the Word—do it.”
 
Some of you are searching for answers:
Is there a God?
Can I be forgiven?
Is there hope beyond my past?
Why all the injustice? all the cancer? All tragedy?
Why do people die early?
 
Well, the Bible doesn’t just give information or facts on these question—it gives invitation. An invitation for relationship with Jesus, who is the living Word, and He’s calling out to you today.
 
If you’ve drifted, it’s time to return.
If you’ve never surrendered, today is your day.
 
Pray this with me today,
Dear Jesus, I believe You are the God of all creation and You have made me in your image, yet my sin has separated me from you, and I’ve drifted from your plans and purposes. Today, I respond to your invitation, and choose to make You my Lord and Savior.  I choose to be a worshipper of You all the days of my life including today.   In Jesus Name, amen!
 
God’s Word hasn’t changed—and it hasn’t given up on you.
 
Don’t stop reading.
Don’t stop listening.
Don’t stop responding.

Don't Stop Praying

Don’t Stop Praying
 
Have you ever prayed with real faith—only to be met with silence?
 
 
You asked.
You believed.
You waited.
And nothing seemed to happen.
 
Jesus understood that tension. That’s why Luke tells us, “Jesus told them a parable to show that they should always pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1)
 
The Bible is full of desperate prayers—barren women crying for children, prophets crying out in caves, parents begging for healing. And many times, God answered powerfully.
 
But what happens when He doesn’t?
 
Luke 18 shows us where prayer often breaks down—and why Jesus tells us, Don’t stop praying.
 
First, we give up too quickly.
Jesus tells the story of a persistent widow who keeps coming to an unjust judge. She doesn’t win because the judge is good—but because she refuses to quit. Jesus reframes persistence as faith, not futility. Persistent prayer isn’t pestering God. It’s refusing to believe that silence is the final word.
 
Second, sin can block our prayers.
Jesus contrasts a proud Pharisee and a broken tax collector. One prays impressively. The other prays honestly. And Jesus says only one goes home right with God. Scripture reminds us that unconfessed sin, unresolved conflict, and broken relationships can stall our prayer life—not because God is unwilling, but because pride closes the channel.
 
Third, sometimes our motives are wrong.
The rich young ruler wanted eternal life—but not surrender. Jesus touched the one thing he wouldn’t release. Prayer doesn’t just seek answers—it refines hearts. As Søren Kierkegaard said, “Prayer doesn’t change God; it changes the one who prays.”
 
Fourth, we struggle to believe like children.
Jesus welcomes little children and says, “The kingdom belongs to such as these.” Children ask because they trust. Many adults stop asking—not because they don’t believe in God—but because they don’t fully trust His goodness.
 
Sometimes, we simply don’t understand.
Even the disciples didn’t understand when Jesus spoke of His suffering. Prayer isn’t always about getting God to explain Himself—it’s an invitation to trust Him when we can’t see the whole picture.
 
And finally—sometimes we don’t ask at all.
The blind man cried out to Jesus, and Jesus asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” God invites bold, honest prayers. Scripture says, “You do not have because you do not ask.”
 
So here’s the question Jesus asks us in Luke 18:
“When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith?”
 
Do you still believe—
when God says no?
when God says grow?
when God says slow?
when God says go?
 
Your faith matters to God.
Your persistence matters to God.
 
Don’t stop praying.
 
And if you’re listening today and know you’re not right with God—if sin, fear, or pride has created distance—there is a prayer God will never ignore.
 
The Bible says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
 
If that’s you, pray this with me:
 
Jesus,
I come just as I am.
I need Your mercy.
I believe You died for my sins
and rose again for my salvation.
I turn from my sin
and place my faith in You.
Make me new.
I still believe.
Amen.
 
Don’t stop praying—because every prayer keeps your heart anchored in a faith still believes in the God who loves you!

The Altar of Priority

The Altar of Priority (Haggai 1)
So, today we’re going to take a look at the prophet Haggai who had a crucial warning to Israel for giving up on the Temple of the Lord as it laid in ruins, putting their own well being above the priority of building a place to meet God.
 
God had promised through Jeremiah, “After seventy years, I will visit you and bring you back” (Jer. 29:10). Much like how Moses lead them out of Egypt, again now under the leadership of Zerubabbel, Ezra, and Nehemiah the people would slowly return back from captivity in three waves. Zerubabbel would rebuild the foundation of the temple and Ezra would rebuild the worship in the temple, and then later Nehemiah would rebuild the walls of the city. During this time three prophetic voices emerged on the scene. Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi and their message was simple return to God, return and rebuild!
 
Today, I want to give voice to Haggai’s prophetic warning.  Return to the altar, and put God first again!  He would remind the people that their harvest was empty and their hearts were weary because they had misplaced their priorities.  They had allowed survival to replace surrender and comfort to replace commitment.
 
POINT 1 — STOP MAKING EXCUSES (1:2)
After returning from exile, the people began well but quickly found reasons to delay obedience. They said, “It’s not the right time.” — not out of rebellion, but rationalization.
Fear of enemies, financial instability, political pressure — all real — but they became convenient excuses.  Excuses are nothing more than a buffer to obedience. It’s like saying, “I’ll obey when life slows down.” But life rarely slows down — and delayed obedience is still disobedience.
When we stop making excuses, the next step is to consider our ways.
 
POINT 2 — CONSIDER YOUR WAYS (v. 5-7)
The drought wasn’t punishment; it was realignment. God withheld blessing to remind them that nothing truly prospers when He’s not first.
 
Jesus later summarized Haggai’s message in one sentence:
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
 
When God isn’t first, nothing else fits.
When God is first, everything else finds its place.
 
A time-management teacher once demonstrated with a jar, rocks, gravel, sand, and water.
When he put the sand in first, nothing else fit.
When he placed the big rocks first, everything fit perfectly.
The lesson?
“If you don’t put your big rocks in first, you’ll never fit them in at all.”
Your “big rock” must be God and His house.
 
When we seek Him first in every area, we experience what Haggai promised — God’s pleasure returns, His blessing flows, and our labor bears fruit.  Once the people realized their misplaced priorities, God didn’t leave them in guilt — He stirred them to action.
 
POINT 3 — STIR UP YOUR SPIRIT TO OBEY (v. 12)
Obedience doesn’t start with emotion — it starts with  a Word from God!  Hebrews 4 tells us that the Word of God is living and active. When Haggai spoke, and the people responded. They feared the Lord, they heard His word, and they began to rebuild.  When we respond in faith and live in obedience to God’s word revival begins.   Which leads to the final conclusion of the matter. 
 
When the people finally obeyed, God didn’t respond with money or comfort — He gave them something greater:  HIMSELF!
 
That’s the ultimate promise of revival — not abundance, not success, but His presence.
 
Even in our failure, God’s grace meets us.
“While we stand as perpetually unfaithful, unforgiving, unloving, and ungrateful,
God stands, with affection and grace, ready to usher us into His family through the redemption offered in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus — all because of His radically sufficient grace.”
 
Is there something God’s been calling you to do — serve, give, forgive, build — but you’ve been saying, “Not yet, Lord”?
 
Haggai’s message is clear: Stop waiting for a better time. Start today.
 
When was the last time God’s Word stirred you to action? Are you open to letting the Spirit reignite your passion for His work?
 
When we respond with obedience in faith, God revives the work and becomes not only the Author but the Finisher of our faith.  He who began this good work in you is faithful to complete it, just trust and obey God word in your life.  His grace will take you further and farther than you could ever imagine, don’t give up now, put God First!

Hope in the Hand of God

HOPE IN THE HAND OF GOD
 
Today I want to continue sharing my thoughts of what it means to have hope in the hand of God from the last few chapters of Ezra
 
Ezra shows us four things: we must prepare, be responsible with, depend and stay in the hand of God
 
First, we prepare for the hand of God.
Ezra 7 reminds us to be skilled in the Word. We must pursue a deeper understanding and then practice it in our everyday lives.  Ezra mentions that he was committed to the ordinances and the statutes of God’s Law.  Statutes were another word used for boundaries.  The Word of God must establish boundaries in our lives that others know we don’t go there, or touch that, behave in that way.  The ordinances are another word for the judgments of God.  In other words, if we cross those boundaries, we know there are consequences that will reap God’s judgment on our lives.  So we prepare for the hand of God by being diligent in studying and practicing the Word of God.
 
Second, we be responsible with what’s in God’s hand.
Inside the hand of God are people, permission and provision.  His hand has everything we need to live a flourishing life of impact and influence.  In Ezra 8, there is a record of all those returning with Ezra and the families of these men.  It’s a reminder that we have a responsibility to live faithfully with the people that God has placed in our lives.  And that starts with our children and our grandchildren.  We should live today so that those who follow us will find us faithful.  We must remember that even if your family line is broken, God wants to turn that brokenness into His blessing.  In the hand of God is the ability to break cycles of sin and a history of moral compromise.  Your family history does not need to be your destiny, for with God’s hand, something can start new.  But let’s not forget that if your family line is honorable much like Ezra’s.  Then it’s our responsibility to keep the anointing flowing in your family line.   If the past is broken, start something new, if the past is honorable keep the favor flowing, either way live today so the next generation finds you faithful. 
 
Third, we must depend on the hand of God.
 
Ezra reminds us that dependence comes through fasting and prayer—seeking God’s direction, His protection, and then moving forward in faith.  If God said to move out, then we must trust in His protection.  Depending on the hand of God, means trusting in the hand of God and believing in faith His hand will not only protect you but also guide you in the progression of your faith. 
 
Finally, we must stay in the hand of God.
In chapters 9 and 10, Ezra calls God’s people to confess their compromise, recognizing how pagan influences had corrupted their devotion. Each surrounding nation symbolized a different snare—idolatry, political deceit, cultural sin, immorality, bondage to the past, and even intimidating strongholds that felt impossible to overcome. Sin always leaves a trail of violence, captivity, plunder, and shame, but Ezra’s grief over sin foreshadows the very nature and attitude of Christ as explained in Philippians 2. Much like Christ who humbled himself and became obedient to death on a cross, Ezra by tearing his robe identified with our sin, and humbled himself by plucking his beard and hair sitting down, bearing the weight of our shame and praying to God for salvation.   In the middle of ruin, God always offers the gift of revival: in His hand is mercy that rescues, worship that restores, and protection that rebuilds. The call is clear—become the remnant who weeps over sin, embraces God’s mercy, and makes a covenant to live set apart for Him.  This is how we stay in the hand of God.
 
So, are you preparing for the hand of God? Are you daily shaping your life by God’s word?  Do you depend on His hand?  Where do you need to say “Lord, I just can’t do this without you?”  Bring him your weakness, your decisions, your battles and lean on His hand. Is it time for you to break the cycle of compromise in your family line and shape tomorrow’s generation?  Are you keeping the blessing flowing? And God is always looking for a remnant of those seeking revival, declaring that it’s better to live in the Blessing of His hand, rather than shaking the hand of any other god. 

Hope Starts at the Altar

HOPE STARTS AT THE ALTAR — EZRA 3-6
 
In October of 1871, while the Great Chicago Fire was burning, an even deadlier fire swept through the small town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin. It consumed everything in its path—homes, churches, businesses—leaving the town of 1.2 million acres completely in ashes. Over 1,200 people died, and survivors stood in shock, staring at smoking ruins where their lives once were.
 
But the people of Peshtigo did not abandon their town. With determination, they began the slow, painful process of clearing the wreckage, rebuilding homes, reestablishing schools, and eventually constructing a new church. What once looked like a hopeless wasteland became a place of life again—rebuilt from the ashes.
 
This mirrors Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. The city was burned, its temple destroyed, its people scattered. But when God brought His people back, the same choice faced them: grieve the ashes or rebuild with hope. Just like the citizens of Peshtigo, the returning exiles picked up stones, repaired walls, restored worship, and trusted God for renewal.
 
The ruins weren’t the end—they were just the beginning of a testimony.
 
That’s the picture in Ezra chapters 3 through 6. God’s people came back from exile to find their spiritual home — the temple — in ruins. Just rubble where God’s glory once dwelled. But instead of despairing, God called them to rebuild. Not just walls and stones, but their worship and their faith.
 
And here’s where it started: at the altar. Before the temple walls were raised, before a foundation was laid, they rebuilt the altar. They celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles, offered burnt offerings, and said in their actions: “God, we’re beginning again with You at the center.” Worship always comes before the work.
 
But as soon as the foundation was laid, something interesting happened. The young shouted for joy, but the older generation wept, remembering what had been lost. It was so loud that you couldn’t tell the difference between the shouting and the weeping. And isn’t that what worship often feels like today? Some celebrate, some complain, some grieve — but God’s concern isn’t about style or perfection. He’s after a heart that returns to Him in spirit and in truth.
 
Of course, the rebuilding faced resistance. Enemies offered to “help,” then discouraged and accused, even persuading kings to stop the work. That’s still how the enemy operates today: first through compromise, then through attack. But God sent prophetic voices — Haggai and Zechariah — to stir the people again: “Consider your ways. Return to Me. Not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit.”
 
And eventually, the temple was completed. The people purified themselves and celebrated Passover — not just as a ritual, but as a declaration of God’s faithfulness. Yet even that temple pointed to something greater. Jesus Himself came as the true temple, God dwelling with us. At Pentecost, His Spirit filled the Church so that we became the living temple. And Revelation says that one day, in the New Jerusalem, there will be no temple at all — because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb will be its temple.
 
Here’s the takeaway: Hope always starts at the altar. It starts when we return to God in worship, even in the rubble of sin’s destruction. It’s sustained through His Word and Spirit, even in resistance that comes from the enemy. And it’s fulfilled in Christ, who is our temple and our hope.
 
So where are you today? At the altar, needing to surrender again? Facing resistance, needing encouragement? Or celebrating God’s faithfulness? Wherever you are, know this: You are part of God’s building project that stretches from Ezra to eternity. And the best part? We already know how the story ends — the temple is complete in Christ, and one day we will dwell with Him forever.