Where is Your Focus?

Habakkuk 3:17-19 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.

Sometimes in life, things don’t look good and it can feel like God is ignoring you or maybe testing you. Maybe you struggle with feeling like you deserve it when life isn’t great. In the story of Job, after he loses everything, he has friends who show up and accuse him of doing some sort of sin to deserve what happened, but he didn’t. Sometimes I think we can do that to ourselves. We beat ourselves up like we cause all our problems.  But I love the way Habakkuk views hard times. He just changes his focus instead of concerning himself with every problem.  Habakkuk focuses on who God is instead. It doesn't mean that you ignore every issue. It means you put trust in God's character. I love that he calls the Lord the Sovereign Lord. God is in control. Sometimes we just need to admit there is nothing we can do and just trust in God. Habakkuk could not fix the harvest. But ultimately Habakkuk did not serve God because of what God could give him. Rather, he served the LORD because he knew God and knew God’s truly good nature. In the same way we ought to trust that God is control. He is the author of our lives, and he wants the best for us. When things look tough, trust that God will work it for his glory and just be willing to participate.

Pastor Brenan Hindermann

Calling All Disciples: To Serve or Not to Serve, That is the Question

We have all been given gifts by our Heavenly Father to benefit one another in the faith. I know, brothers and sisters, you are aware that there are many ministries that need help. The nursery, the tech booth, prison ministry, widows’ ministry, fundraising and so many more that desperately need help. Your pastor or pastors cannot and should not be doing it all!

As it is written in Acts 6:1-7 NIV

“[1] In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. [2] So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. [3] Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them [4] and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” [5] This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. [6] They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. [7] So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. 

So, how can we be those people? Some examples of people in the Bible gives us a glimpse of what our pastors and church need to serve one another and help show the love of Christ.

My brothers and sisters, as much as the church needs more Pauls, Peters and Johns, it really really needs more Stephens. It needs more Aarons and Miriams, it needs more Davids and Timothys. It needs more armor bearers and those willing to hold up the arms of the leaders who God has placed over you. 

For example, Moses dealt with difficulty from the Israelites on their journey to the promised land. This is what the brothers and sisters of Moses failed to realize: their brother may have been in the limelight, but their roles were just as important. YOU are IMPORTANT! If they had focused on easing their brother's burden, the whole of Israel would have benefited and Moses may have not given into his fatigue and frustration leading him to strike the rock and forfeiting his entrance to the promised land.  

Brothers and sisters in the faith, I know that you pray for your pastors, which is good. Don’t ever stop. But what if YOU are the answer to your prayers? What if you are the Stephens of your church family? Those of you who care for children for a living, are you using your gift for the Lord or just a paycheck? The fixers, the builders, the craftsmen, the sewers, the cooks, the cleaners, the investors and money gurus. What if the church is not growing because faith is not being put into action?

We like to say that we are striving to BE that church, but why aren't WE that church? In all my life, I have yet to see a church that operates in the full capacity of what is being described in Acts 2:42-47 NIV. I'm not saying it does not exist, in fact, you hear stories of our brothers and sisters across the world who live in this exact way. Under extreme persecution no less!

Is that what it's going to take for us to live by faith and not by sight? Having our lives on the line because of our faith? I should hope not.

Part of what is happening is our brothers and sisters in the faith have become too comfortable and too complacent in our faith. 

It is written in Galatians 5:13 NIV:

“[13] You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 

There is this idea that has infected the church that it is the pastor's job to grow the church. And, while, yes, that is true, if you claim to be a disciple of Christ, that responsibility also falls on you.

As it is written in Matthew 28:18-20 NIV:

“[18] Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I want to draw your attention to something when Jesus gave this command: none of the men were apostles yet. They were disciples. That means this command goes to everyone who believes in our Lord Jesus Christ, not just the pastor. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard, “Well, I can't contribute like that. I'm not a pastor.” I'm sorry but that is just a foolish way of thinking. A body is not a body if there is only one part.

As it is written in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 NIV, we represent different parts of the body. We are given our gifts from the Holy Spirit to help one another in the ways God has gifted us.

You all have been anointed by God to spread the good news and serve one another above yourself that all may benefit from talents that our most wonderful, all-seeing King has deposited into you. 

My question is: when you stand before our Lord, will He say well done my good and faithful servant or begone from me you lazy and wicked servant! Believe it or not, the choice is yours.

To serve or not to serve, that is the question we are asked every day. Or, rather, will I choose Jesus, or will I choose myself?

As it is written in John 12:24-26 NIV:

[24] Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. [25] Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. [26] Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

Let us serve our Lord Jesus Christ as He serves us! Let us put our faith into action and serve one another. Let us live in obedience to the Lord that we may do His will here on earth as it is in Heaven!

May the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.

Blessings,

Rev Dakota Swinton 

Some other verses to look at:

Acts 2:42-47 NIV

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

1 Corinthians 12:12-31 NIV

James 2:14-26 NIV

Matthew 25:14-30 NIV

Galatians 5:13-26 NIV

Resurrection Sunday

Matthew 28:5-7 NIV: 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

Jesus died on the cross on what we call Good Friday, shedding His blood for our sins. He shed his blood in droplets mixed with sweat while praying in anguish for the cup to pass from Him (Luke 22:44 NIV: And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground). He shed His blood while being scourged from the whips on His back (Matthew 27:26b NIV: But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified). He shed His blood from the crown of thorns placed on his head (John 19:2 NIV: The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head). He shed His blood from the plucking of His beard from His face (Isaiah 50:6a NIV: I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard). He shed His blood from the nails driven into His hands and feet on the cross (John 20:25 NIV: The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe). He shed His blood when His side was pierced with a spear after He was already dead (John 19:34 NIV: Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water).

BUT, on the third day, we now call Resurrection Sunday, He rose from the dead and we can joyfully say, "He is risen! He is risen indeed!"

He went through all of this pain for ALL. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin, as it says in Hebrews 9:22 NIV: In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Praise the Name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior! Hallelujah!!!

Thanks for reading! Have a blessed day!

Pastor Vicky Conklin-Johnson

Prayer Ministries Pastor

To Rest or Not to Rest

Greetings my Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus. I pray all is well with you and that the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you. I have been enjoying the word so much lately and have been sneaking away when I can just sit at the Lord's feet and listen to what he has to say. I long to lounge with him just as my children lounge with me. Or how my wife longs to lay against me just as John (the disciple Jesus loved as he would say) at The Last Supper. 

It has been a great joy to me to be still in the presence of my Father. He takes my anxiety and worries, and He washes me clean and examines my heart.  He corrects me, rebukes me, instructs and equips me. He gives me hope for a future and reassures me that I am His. He gives me tips and insights on how to love others. He gives me wisdom and encouragement. He builds me up in His love and restores me.

My brothers and sisters, why have we all become like Martha? Always working, cleaning, cooking, preparing, planning, meeting, organizing, watching TV, hobbies, sports and doomscrolling, whatever it may be. Filling our plates to the point of breaking and when something finally gets completed we immediately fill it back up not realizing that we have made work an idol. In trying to please the Lord we lash out at Mary's, the ones who chose to sit at Jesus' feet.

As it is written, Luke 10:38-42

[38-40] As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.” [41-42] The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.”

My dear brothers and sisters, when was the last time you allowed yourself to lounge with the Lord? Not to accomplish anything but to just be His child in His arms letting His love and warmth wash over you?

My dear friends in Christ, when was the last time you were still and submissive enough to let Jesus wash your feet? When was the last time you allowed Him to take care of you as your Father? 

I want to share how the Lord has been loving me lately. When I was young, I would go to my Aunt Kathy’s, and I was lavished in love. She would greet me with excitement and joy in her voice, light in her eyes and a shining smile on her face. She would pull me into a deep and loving embrace and shower me with kisses. She made my favorite foods and desserts and would tell me to have as much as I would like. She would draw me a hot bath then dry me off with a big fluffy towel fresh out of the dryer. She dressed me in soft warm clothes and would tuck me into a bed that to me was like it was made from the clouds themselves. My Aunt Kathy has always loved me like that.  I will tell you the Lord wants to lavish you in love just like that! Except His love is infinite and perfect! Allow your Heavenly Father to be your Father and take care of His child. When you are loved like that you can love like that.

My dear ones in our Lord we must honor the Lord! He gives us 6 days of the week to do what we need to do. Is it really too much to rest with him for a day?

As it is written, Exodus 20:8-11

[8-11] Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don’t do any work—not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day.

Pray with me church. I can only imagine how much greater we could shine the light of Christ If His lights were fully charged! Think of how much more effective, efficient, energized and engaged we would be if we actually rested in the Lord! Imagine if all God's people prepared for and honored the sabbath. Do you know what you are saying to God when you say, “I have cleared my schedule, and my phone is off. The house is quiet, and the car is not moving. I'm not going anywhere, and you have my complete undivided attention. I am here I am present I am yours.” 

CHURCH, do you see the possibility that if we as God's people honor the sabbath all will benefit? Stores wouldn’t need to be open on Saturday or Sunday because there would not be any business to do because people are worshiping the Lord! I know it seems impossible to be free of this busy work culture, but everything is possible for those who believe! Let's show the world the Joys of being His by being His!

2 Corinthians 13:14

[14] The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.

Blessings,

Pastor Dakota Swinton

Don't Give Up

A lot of times in our everyday life we are just totally exhausted. We have nothing to give even though we are not even halfway through the day. Does that sound like anyone? Sure does to me.

Physically drained, mentally strained and sometimes even a short fuse to go with that? Worrying about upcoming events or family matters or stressful jobs?

What about adding to this that we have personal things going on. We have kids acting up, doctor appointments, someone who is asking too much of you, your car breaks down, pain or any number of things going on.

Can you relate to any of these?

Psalms 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

We are not meant to carry all these things.  We need to let them go. Look ahead, not behind!

Deuteronomy 31: 8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

The Lord goes before us, and we follow looking ahead. We tend to focus on the past and that limits our sight looking ahead to where God wants us to go. Don’t look at your past so much because he has a bright future for you!

God wants us to focus on His Blessings ahead and how we can be effective and lead people to him. His plans involve what we need to do and not what we have done in our past.

Plans for a future sound familiar?

 Jeremiah 29:11-13, 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Galatians 6:9-10 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

I really think that we as Christians try our best to get things right and do good to one another all the time. Life seems to be getting in our way, and we let each other down. I’ve been there many times. My actions or words have not always aligned with who I am now, and my past self always wants to take the lead in all I do and say. Being human means, we will fail each other at some point, but do not let it define you.

People may not forgive you and that’s not up to you, that’s up to them. You need to move on and forgive them and give it to God.  Do your best the next time and leave it in the rear-view mirror where it belongs.

Let Jesus Christ define you!

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Keep your eyes on the prize, strive from this day forward to be focused on today not yesterday! Love like never before and show that light that God has given you. Ask for help every day for God to mold you and change your focus on the blessings and the fact of where they come from! Jesus loves you and wants you to succeed!

Giving up is what the enemy wants. Don’t give him any ground. Our Savior already has the VICTORY! Claim your victory! Ask God for a fresh new filling and get recharged day every morning!

Lamentations 3:22-26

22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Go to God when you are good. When you are not good ask for energy and ask to be sustained. DO NOT GIVE UP!

I hope this has touched you and realized it is God that can get you through things!

Love you All God Bless You!

Campus Pastor Northwood Church Springfield                                                                         

 Worship Arts Pastor Springfield and Redwood

  Pastor Kent Furch                                                                                         

Pray with Thanksgiving

Philippians 4:6 (NIV): Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

We all deal with struggles in life. Finances can be one. Sometimes we get ourselves in financial trouble due to living beyond our means. We may see something that we really want, but don't necessarily need it and we buy it using a credit card, because we don't have the cash for it.

Sometimes things happen that are beyond our control and cumulative. Water pipes freeze, one of them splits open due to the expansion of the ice. The only vehicle breaks down and a new engine is needed.

But, we have an advocate - God. We can bring our prayer requests to the Father, through the Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit. We must bring our requests to Him with thanksgiving. Thank Him for what He will do in this situation.

At a time in my life, I wasn't hearing from God. Someone asked me if I was thanking God. I wasn't and didn't know I should. I began thanking him for blessings, for getting me through struggles, etc. Then I began hearing Him answer questions I had. Oftentimes, when I ask what I should do in the direction of my life, He answers me right away.

Ask for guidance, direction, wisdom in the decisions you must make. Pray expecting, in faith that God will meet the need. He is Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord provides. Maybe God tells you to take on another job part-time to pay for these expenses (repairs of water pipes, car engine). He may not meet the need for our frivolous spending, but He will be there to console us through something we cannot rectify quickly.

I spoke of God being our advocate. Do You have this advocate in your life? If not, we can take care of that right now, by you praying the prayer of salvation. “Lord Jesus, thank You for dying for me. Thank you for shedding Your blood on the cross so that I could be cleansed of my sins. I ask You to forgive me for every sin I ever committed and those sins of omission because I didn’t do something You wanted me to do. Come into my life. Help me to get to know You through reading the Bible, praying, gathering with other believers for church and fellowship. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen!”

Make a decision today to bring all requests and concerns to Almighty God, with Thanksgiving. Spending time with God is never a waste of time. And, He always has time for you!

If you are local, in or near Redwood Falls, MN, come visit us at Northwood Church. We’d love to meet you! We’d hope you would get plugged in with us. You can also watch us on YouTube: Northwood Church Redwood Falls, MN - YouTube.

Thank you for reading this devotion.

Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV): 24 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Pastor Vicky Conklin-Johnson

Prayer Ministries Pastor

You Are Missing It!

Greetings my Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, I pray all is well with you and that the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you.

I wanted to share with you a word the Lord has been laying heavy on my heart lately.

It is written in Psalms 39:4

[4] “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.”

I am not exaggerating how intense the words “you're missing it” were ringing in my head. We have, I believe, all struggled with falling into a stupor when we get hit by life and it throws off our game. 

But we must press on. We cannot let the burdens of the day rob us of our joy in the Lord. Whatever we are suffering, we rejoice in the Lord!

Fathers, husbands and brothers in Christ, do you know your children? Their gifts and talents that were given to them by God for his Glory. Do you lead them in the Word? Are you showing by example how to have your house in order? Are you teaching them to love their wives as Christ loved the church, by the way you love your wife with the love of Christ that is in you? 

If not, or if you are struggling, praise be to God for this verse.

It is written in 1 John 1:8-10:

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”

Brothers, we can go to our Heavenly Father with confidence because of Christ Jesus.

As it is written in Hebrews 4:16:

“[16] Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

We may also ask him for wisdom for how to do all He has asked us.

For as it is written in James 1:5-8:

“[5] If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. [6] But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. [7] That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. [8] Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

Let's go to God for all things that we may glorify our King Jesus Christ! Let us live by His word and watch the Lord work through our obedience in Him. Let us show the world what it is to follow Christ! Let us not let another day go by without showing love to our God, our spouse, our children, friends and family. Do everything you can to serve for the glory of the Lord in all you do!

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Blessings,

PDS

Now That I Have Salvation, What Next?

Many new believers are not sure what to do after accepting Jesus into their hearts.  Here are some great ideas of what to do next!

Reading the word is a good start to everyday and end. Getting started right each day helps us with the right focus and attitude. Ending each day will create the right environment for good dreams and give us a great sleep.

Ephesians 4:26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.

Giving our troubles to God can takes the burdens off us and help us calm down.

Now we can relax!

Pray! There is no wrong way to pray. Praying connects us with God, and he will always listen no matter the time or the place. Make a schedule to read and then pray or vice versa but stick to it. One idea is to start with 5 minutes then move up and make it 10 minutes,  then 30.

God has time for you and wants to hear from you.

As a new believer, meet as many times as you can with mature believers so you can advance more quickly.  They can help guide you along this new adventure of having a relationship with your Savior!

Another tip after you receive salvation is to get other believers’ phone numbers and email addresses and then call, text or email them. It is important to get together with other believers and attend bible studies. We all start out not knowing much, but you will quickly learn things God is asking you to do!

Tell others about your experience with God!

You will sometimes make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes and you just need to give them to God, and he will forgive you. You get another chance to grow and live changed. God wants to change you and mold you into his masterpiece. Only God can help you daily!

Ephesians 2:8-10 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Isaiah 64:8 And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.

Let God speak to you and form you the way he wants you to be.

I encourage you to have at least 2  friends who are christian brothers for men and sisters for women to help us listen to us and encourage us in this walk we have begun.

James 2:14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

We are called to act and not just be hermits tucked away from everyone but rather should help one another when we can.

Stand up, Step out, and Start walking!

Blessings from your

Campus Pastor Northwood Church Springfield                                                                                                                                                                                                               Worship Arts Pastor Springfield and Redwood Falls

 Pastor Kent Furch

Faith in God the Father

James 1:6-8 “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 He is a double minded man. Unstable in all his ways.” NKJV

The context of this scripture is about facing trials in our lives and trusting God to get us through them. These verses in James are about having faith and not doubting when we’re praying about something or for someone. If we’re praying for something and doubting that we’re going to get it, we might not get it.

 I always think of it as “God the Father” when praying. What parent, if their child asks for something  says, “you probably won’t get it” and walks away.  Will you get it for them? Probably not!

So, we, as God’s “children”, must not have doubt, when we are praying to our Father in heaven. We need to be believing and trusting in his promises. At the same time, we need to wait for an answer from the Lord because our father wants to talk with you. Too many times, we pray to God and then go about our business as usual.

The Lord wants to bless you and over fill your cup and give you life abundantly.

Amen, God is good!!!

Perry Stands

Northwood Church Missions Ministry

The Hope We Have in Jesus

John 14: 1-6

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me

When I started my journey that eventually led me to Jesus there was one question I couldn't shake. What happens when we die? Here is my long story short. After concluding that the Bible was reliable and that Jesus was who he claimed to be, the logical conclusion was that only Jesus could know the answer for sure. Since the evidence supported that He indeed died and rose from the dead, no one would know better than Him. So, I put my trust in Him and what He had to say about life and death.

As a child I remember my mom talking to me about this specific verse and the hope it brought to her knowing that her Lord and Savior cared about her so much that He himself would prepare a place for her in his father’s house. All we had to do was trust in Him and live for Him. As I got older and more cynical, I forgot the peace Jesus brought to me growing up. I’m so grateful that when I was seeking after Him, He brought me in like the prodigal son and showed me His mercy, grace and love. And even more than that He put a calling on my life to tell others about his love for them. I got to tell my mom that I really had accepted Jesus for myself. She was always proud of me, but never in the way that she was when I told her I was going to pursue ministry. She looked at me in a way that was equally proud and relieved.

My Mom was always my number 1 fan no matter what I did. So, when she was diagnosed with cancer it absolutely shook my world, but it also brought us even more together. I prayed with her and took her to her chemo treatments and was just there for her through all the worst aspects of cancer. I never doubted that God was in this story. I watched as the chemo ate her away, losing her strength, her hair and her independence. Never once did I see her be upset with God. There were times when she got sick of fighting and just longed to be with God, but she never got bitter at God.

Eventually she beat cancer. God healed her.

However, the cancer took its toll on her though damaging her kidneys and making her weak. Only a little more than a year after beating cancer she passed away from a blood infection she couldn’t fight. As she lay in the hospital bed preparing to go with the Lord, my dad and I stood by her holding her hand. I looked at my dad and I told him about the Bible verse that Mom shared with me when I was a kid and about the hope it brought her for this exact moment. Then the Chaplain walked in and introduced himself as Reverend Samuel. What a gentle man of God. He asked if he could pray with us and read scripture with us in Moms final moments. We thanked him and said absolutely. Then he said “this is the hope we have in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior” then he began to read John 14:1-6. My dad looked at me wondering how this man knew Mom’s favorite verse, but the truth was that God was with us when we needed that comfort the most. My mom took her final breath after we finished reading. The last thing she heard in this world was these incredibly comforting words from our savior.

I miss my mom so much. Some days it just hurts physically how much I just want to call my mom and talk to her. I just want more time with her. All the things my boys will do, and she won't be there to see it. All the advice she won't be there to give me when I need it. I think of my dad and the lonely nights he will now have to face. There are so many things that break my heart about losing my mom, but none of those compares to the hope I have in Jesus Christ. It’s hard to feel sad knowing the peace and joy and rest my mom is having because of Jesus. So instead of feeling upset that the Lord took my mom away from me I rejoice that he took away her pain and healed her from all her afflictions, and most of all that he made a way for us to have eternal life with him. I didn't need to say goodbye to my mom, just see you later.

If you're going through a loss, I want you to know that Jesus knows exactly how you feel, and he offers true comfort through his own death and resurrection. It's totally normal to feel sad but just know that Jesus has the victory; he beat death and the grave Himself and that is why He is the way the truth and the life. God, I thank you for giving me the most wonderful woman to raise me. You gave me a mother who not only told me of Your love, but she showed me Your love by loving me the way You love me. She also taught me about Jesus taking away the sting of death through His sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.

-    Pastor Brenan Hindermann

His Grace is Sufficient

Greetings my Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus. I pray that all has been well with you and that the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you. I was recently at another MNSOM class, and the teacher asked the class to share their testimony and prayer requests. After I shared my testimony, I asked for prayer to help me in waiting faithfully for the healing I was promised through prophesy spoken over me several years ago. As I was asking for this, my legs were throbbing in pain and the weight of my afflictions were heavy on me. I couldn’t help but cry out in my spirit, “How much longer Lord! Would I not be more useful to your kingdom without this affliction?” I was reminded of Paul asking a very similar question: my grace is sufficient for you.

Class went on and I joined my wife for lunch. We were joined by other MNSOM students, one of whom had a 9-year-old son who also has cerebral palsy. She spent the next hour picking my brain on all my experiences and how I manage my pain because she wanted to better understand her son. When lunch ended, we prayed together, and she thanked me, stating it was nice to be able to talk to an adult about this. I realized this is not the first time I have been in this situation and by God's grace I have been able to be there for others.  I wish I would have had an example from someone that this condition can be managed, can be improved and does not define you.

I went back to class in such a better state than when I had left. Even though I hate my affliction, God had used it for his purpose. I felt as if My Heavenly Father placed his hand on my shoulder and said, “good job kiddo!”. My attitude went from “How long Lord?” to I will boast in my weakness that God may be glorified! From grumbling to rejoicing in my suffering. I am so grateful that my suffering serves a purpose for the kingdom and that whatever the enemy plans for evil the Lord uses for good.

Brothers and sisters, I do not know the depths of your trials but be encouraged as it is written,

James 1:2-4 NIV [2] Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, [3] because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. [4] Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 

 Also...

 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 NIV [3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, [4] who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. [5] For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. [6] If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. [7] And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Our suffering may be great, but we do not suffer in vain, nor does it go unseen. The Lord knows all things and His grace is sufficient. So, in our suffering let us show all the world that even in our suffering we rejoice in the Lord!

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.

Blessings,

 Pastor Dakota Swinton 

What Road Do We Take? Don't All Roads Lead to Rome?

If you want to go to Rome, there are probably many roads you can take. At one time, all roads probably did lead to Rome during the time of the Roman Empire. In fact, from a video I watched (link below[i]), they had the opinion that all roads did lead to Rome at that time.

Today, I’d like to talk to you about roads that lead to salvation. Unlike roads to Rome, all roads do not lead to salvation. In fact, there is only one way to salvation. What is salvation? Salvation is being saved from the penalty of your sins. What is sin? Sin is anything done against or outside of God’s laws. You’ve heard of the Ten Commandments. Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, etc. The Bible says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23, NIV).” Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) says, “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. Sin separates us from God. But, the good news is, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8, NIV). Who is Christ? You’ve probably heard of the verse John 3:16 (NIV) – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Christ is God’s Son – Jesus Christ. God’s One and only begotten Son. Christmas is celebrated because of Him. Although, there are a lot of people who do not believe in Him and think Christmas is only a celebration of gift giving and family gatherings.

Some faiths direct you to work your way to salvation, some people don’t believe there is salvation. Others believe you have to both work your way to salvation and have Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. John 14:6 (NIV) says, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” and again, Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV), says, “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.” We cannot work our way to heaven, but we can receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior by receiving His free gift of salvation. You ask Jesus for forgiveness and turn away from sin, called repenting. Pray this prayer: “Lord Jesus, thank You for dying for me on the cross, shedding Your blood so I could be forgiven of my sins. Thank You for making a way for me to be with You in heaven when the time comes. Thank you that you rose from the dead and now sit next to the Father and pray for us. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. I ask You to come into my life. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen!”

Now what? Get involved at a local, Bible believing and preaching church, like our Northwood Church in Redwood Falls, MN, if you live nearby. Be around other believers, which is fellowship. Get a Bible and read it every day. Pray to God. Reading your Bible and praying to God and being in His presence is how we get to know who He is and how we need to live our lives. Start serving God in church and in your community.

He died for us, so, isn’t serving Him the least we can do? Time is short and we need to tell people about Jesus and how he died for us and made a way for us to go to heaven. Tell people you care about and know, and people you meet in the park or at the store. You just start a conversation and ask God to lead you through it. He will.

Thank you for reading this devotion. I hope you learned some things from it. I pray you received Jesus through it if you hadn’t already. God bless.

Pastor Vicky Conklin-Johnson
Prayer Ministries Pastor

[i] (All Roads Lead to Rome: The Roads of Ancient Rome. YouTube/World History Encyclopedia. https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=9e1bb62316de79ec669800939fd6e197b9d59502675f20bf7e9047ae81433bd7JmltdHM9MTczNjM4MDgwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=33a81247-169e-6955-012d-070b17f1687a&u=a1L3ZpZGVvcy9yaXZlcnZpZXcvcmVsYXRlZHZpZGVvP3E9dGhlK3JvYWRzK3RvK3JvbWUmbWlkPUJFMzA0RDFFMkZDQ0EyMDg2NkVGQkUzMDREMUUyRkNDQTIwODY2RUYmRk9STT1WSVJF&ntb=1)

New Year's Resolution

We are a few hours into the new year!  Lots of people made resolutions last night or are making them today, and statistically about 80% of all resolutions made today will be broken or abandoned within a month.  In fact, there is a growing trend to make micro resolutions.  Small, easily achieved goals, or a series of goals, so that people are more likely to reach them.

I've been thinking about Luke 10:27 a fair amount recently and thought "What if we made this our New Year’s resolution?  What if we made it our goal to love the Lord with all our hearts, soul, minds, and strength and love our neighbors.

The first part is about loving God.  More importantly it is about loving God with everything we have.  Holding nothing back from Him.  That doesn't mean we can't love anything else.  It means we love God first and make Him the most important thing in our lives.  Everything else must come second.  This might seem harsh, but by loving God with everything we have, we are able to truly love others better.  Because without God as our priority, we can't know true love.

The second part is about loving others.  Once we have given God everything we can, we are more likely to see others as God sees them, as His creation.  This doesn't necessarily mean we have to like everyone, but that we respect others.  That we show compassion for others.  Realizing that God loves them as much as He loves you, and that Jesus died for them just as He did for you.  Even those we don't like because they think or believe something different than us.  When we realize this, we start to see them as people and not labels that we place on them.  We start to see them as people with issues and problems, just like us.

Just imagine how different the world could be if all those who call themselves Christians were to make this their goal for this year.

Pastor Ryan Canaday

Northwood Church

Associate and Family Ministries Pastor

What is Love? Baby Don't Hurt Me!

1 John 3:16-19

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence

I had a hard week. I was overwhelmed with life, trying to be a good husband, a good father, a good employee, and a good Youth Pastor. And I have a very counterproductive coping mechanism. I shut down and on this particular day it was bad. I fell asleep on my couch even though my home was in much need of attention. Then I got woken up by someone at my door. It was my good friend Pastor Dakota, and my heart dropped. I wanted to just tell him to leave. I was in my pajama pants. My house was a wreck. My youngest kid Gideon was running around naked. It was just absolute chaos. I felt like a complete failure. I was embarrassed. Then Dakota did something I've never experienced before. He asked if he could help me. Of course I was reluctant, like I just wanted to deal with it all myself. But He is way too good of a person to even let me do that. He came in and not only did he help me get things done but he really reassured me that I'm not a failure and that I wasn't alone. He loved me how Christ loves me. In my struggle he pulled me out of the pit and inspired me to be better.

We as Christians need to be like Christ for people. We need to be willing to love each other by our actions. And when we are in need of help ourselves, we need to stop putting up walls and keeping people out. We need to stop putting up walls to Jesus. When we try and power through our struggles ourselves, it is prideful. If we don’t humble ourselves, we will fail. Dakota gave his whole day up for me. Dakota showed how we lay our lives down for each other. It’s not just being willing to take a bullet for others, it's being unselfish for each other. Laying down what we want for the needs of others. As the church we tell others how much we love them, but when it comes time to help, we hesitate. Let’s fall more in love with Jesus so that his love overflows and we pour it out on our brothers and sisters in need. Let our love for others be genuine and unwavering because that's how Jesus loves us. If we love others in this way our hearts can truly be at rest knowing that we belong to God and are set apart for his purpose. What is love? It's God’s spirit calling us to action for others, for their benefit and not our own.

God Bless, Pastor Brenan

Bright and Shiny

What do you do when someone disrupts your traditions? Maybe something you’ve been doing for years or it's a family ritual that has been passed down to you. Most of us would get upset and start thinking of all the reasons why we need to keep this tradition. But what if we asked ourselves how does this glorify Jesus? What does this do to my worship with Him? Does it hinder my walk or does it help it? I think too many times we get caught up in this world and try to do all the shiny things that catch our eyes. We must start making our world revolve around Him, Jesus.

When we think of “going into the season” what are some of the first things we think about?

-       Christmas decorations?

-       Special Christmas foods?

-       What are we cooking, how many people are we feeding?

-       How many gifts are we buying for this year?

-       Who are we buying for?

I think we can get very overwhelmed with the Holiday Seasons. Some people go right from Halloween into thinking about Christmas. We need to make sure we don’t forget Thanksgiving and being thankful for God has done for us. We can get holiday stress because we spend so much time planning everything for everyone. We try and make sure you have the right candy, food, gifts and budget for the season. We end up buying endless amounts of stuff and spend so much time planning and preparing for the season. I think that if we should look through the biblical sense of what God intended for us to spend our time on. I think we will see we have spent too much time on things that aren't going to matter for our end goal. What should our end goal be?

The great commission in Matthew 28:16-20 says, “To go and make disciplines and teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you”

Many times, we pass over the part about “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” and it's a very important part of what we as Christians should be doing in every season of our lives. Are we teaching and doing this part? I mean really doing it. Teaching to observe all things that God has commanded us to do. All things, even if they don’t look like what others view as right or the way things are done.

So, what does this mean for the Holiday Seasons? I’m not saying we can't participate in some of it but we must be so careful that we are presenting what Jesus is wanting and not presenting what the world makes look all shiny and pretty. Some of the things of the world make our eyes go ooh and aww because of its beauty. We can all get caught up in the sparkling, dazzling Christmas products that suck your pocketbook dry all because we have to deck the halls. We need to make sure the house is lit up outside and buy too many presents to count. How many of us have bought our children gifts for Christmas just for them to put them aside 2 days later and hardly touch them again. Or get those filler gifts so the kids have more to open. I have certainly done it more times than I can count. And God has been really working on me that this is not what He is asking from us, the ones who are walking with Him.

We as Christ followers, are the ones who are waking every day and asking God how I can be used by You today. We are the people He is asking to step outside our comfort zone and be obedient and follow Him, even when it looks different. As Christians we are supposed to look different than the rest. We must remember that Satan is having a field day during the holidays because people are not focused on Jesus and making spreading the Gospel our first priority. Focusing on Jesus is a second thought or third depending on your faith walk. We are so distracted by all the stuff that the devil keeps filling our plates with and we allow it. We allow filling our houses with stuff that doesn’t say I’m a believer in Jesus. Instead, our houses are a reflection of whatever holiday we are in at the moment. Once again, I don’t think God is saying you can't decorate, but we have to be careful that it hasn’t gone too far or become something that we have made an Idol in our lives.

We need to make sure we are not becoming like the world, so we blend in. We are supposed to stick out. We are supposed to teach the things that God holds dear. Most holidays have hardly anything if at all to do with Christ. While Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, many worldly things have been added. Many times, Christ is the last item talked about. I am not trying to be a scrooge but the older I get and the deeper I go with God, the more He is showing me all the ways the world has infiltrated our Chistian ideas and traditions. The world is taking over almost to the point where we no longer look like Christ but a joyful reflection of the world.

It's like being in a big city. The lights are so bright you can't see the stars in the sky. To see the stars, you need to take yourself away from the city and into the country to where there are less distractions. It's the same way for us when we are following Jesus. We must be careful not to let ourselves get caught up in the worldly things, the fast paced, bright shiny lights, and the things that sparkle. We need to pull ourselves away and see what God really wants us to speak into our lives. What does he want us to do with the seasons we are in? How do we share the word of God in the bright lights, so we don’t get lost in them too.

Let's turn to Romans 12:1-2, where is says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

If we are accepting of the worldly practices that aren’t of God, then how can the world know it's wrong. God has set the bar or boundaries, and we are to walk them out for the world to see. There are too many things we have let infiltrate our lives so that now people can’t see who's a Christian and who’s not. We look too much like the rest of the world and then we wonder why churches are becoming empty. The youth are walking away wondering why they even need the church. We have too many things we have allowed and accepted. And somehow, we need to bridge the gap. We need to discard the things that God is asking us to get rid of, even when our flesh is crying because it's always been the tradition. So, ask yourselves this holiday where do my traditions come from? Who am I really following?

God Bless, Pastor Rae Lynn Stands

Having Joy in a World that is Falling Apart

The circumstances of life have a way of robbing us of joy. Disappointment, frustration, and loss can suck the very life from us; however, Jesus’s birth reminds us that, no matter how hard life is, we don’t have to go through it alone. God has come to us full of grace and truth, and that should bring us joy. We can trust that Jesus’s presence with us will reveal the truth about our lives and at the same time offer us the grace to see things change. 

Let our joy be contagious to those around us. 

John 1:4-5 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. 

Do you take Jesus with you everywhere? If you do, you have the Joy of the Lord with you! 

Psalms 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.  

I want Joy all the time so I must always be in his presence! 

Let Joy lead you this month as there are so many that need Jesus and need to experience that Joy you have. 

Let Jesus and the Holy Spirit give you an overwhelming amount of Joy. Let him be your Joyful song! 

Luke 1 Mary Visits Elizabeth 

39 A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town 40 where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. 43 Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? 44 When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” 

When we go to someone’s house do they feel the presence of the Lord upon us? 

Do they leap for Joy? Do they get filled with the Holy Spirit upon our greeting them? 

This whole world is falling apart. There are hurts and pain and suffering that happen all the time. There are injustices and evil allowed into our public schools. There are people wanting to be the opposite sex and claiming they are. There are schoolteachers who push for children to get sex changes and try and hide it from their parents. There are men claiming to be a woman to gain records in women’s sports. 

Lots of people feel they are all alone in this world. There are kids whose parents abandon them. There are fathers that walk out on their families because it's too hard. There are lives filled with drugs, alcohol, and pornography.  

The one we all need to look for is God. God's word is the truth and the answer to every situation we have in life. God is always available to listen. 

He said he will never leave you or forsake you. If God is for us who can be against us? 

Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit and Joy comes from him. The fruits of the Spirit are Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and self-control. 

We are in charge of having self-control and showing and sharing the fruits he has given. Are you being the Joyful light God has called you to be?  

Are you giving everything you can to help each other be that light and that influence you can be to others? 

To help someone you don’t have to be perfect. To help someone you just have to be ready and willing and able to help. If you only have one good thing to give, then give it. If you only have one scripture or loving word to say, then share it. It’s the little acts of loving kindness that most are missing out on in their life. Go forth this Christmas season and spread Joy around and share the Love of God with everyone you encounter. 

Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. 

Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. 

Psalm 19:8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 

Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. 

Joy is something we should be overflowing in daily as Christians. Show others what the presence of God is like and bring Joy to all this Christmas. Let God’s word, his guidebook to our life, direct our thoughts and actions.  

With a Joyful Heart I will sing! God Bless you all and keep searching in God's word and let him fill you with JOY! 

Springfield Campus Pastor Kent Furch 

My Redeemer Lives

Job 19:25-27 (NIV)

            I was in prayer this morning and did most of the talking, maybe all of the talking… I am working on being still before God, meaning no talking on my part. I asked Him if he had anything to say to me. I had the Holy Bible there beside me and I opened it randomly. I don't randomly open the Bible to read from often, I am usually in a particular book that I am reading and open it to that book to continue reading. But, with this random time, I opened it and was in the book of Job. I read some of it on the page I opened to. But, then, the thought came to me that I wanted to read the verses that begin with I know my Redeemer lives, as, that verse is one of my most favorite verses. So, I wanted to share the three verses below.

            Job 19:25-27 (NIV): "25 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand on the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see Him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!"

            I look forward to the day that I can see Jesus, my Lord and Savior, face-to-face! I will tell Him, "Thank You for dying for me and cleansing me of my sins, and raising me up to be with Him." What a day that will be, to be with my Savior that day and forever! Wow!

            This is one great thing to look forward to in this fallen world. We can always count on Jesus. He is with us always even until the end of the age as it reads in Matthew 28:20b (NIV): "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

            The Bible also reads in Matthew 18:20 (NIV), "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." What a comfort that is! Not only is He with us there, but He is seated at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us. Romans 8:34 (NIV): "Who then is the one who condemns? (Also mentioned in Romans 8:1-2 below) No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." Romans 8:1-2 (NIV): "1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death." And that is where grace comes in. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV): "8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast."

            God wants us all to be with Him in the end. He doesn't want anyone to go to hell. 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV): "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." And, 1 Timothy 2:4-6 (NIV): "4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time."

            I want to give you opportunity now to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, if you haven't already. Read this scripture as written in Romans 10:8-13 (NIV): 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
            Genuinely pray this prayer to receive Jesus: "Father God, I am a sinner and I am sorry for sinning against You.  Forgive me of my sins. I receive Jesus Christ Your Son as my Lord and Savior.  I give You my life.  In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen." Then, begin reading the Holy Bible to learn more about God and how to live life. Get plugged into a Bible preaching church where you will hear truth and fellowship with other believers. You won't regret this decision to follow Jesus! Let us know through this website's "contact us" page, that you have made this decision.

Thank you for reading. God bless you!

Pastor Vicky Conklin-Johnson

Prayer Ministries Pastor

Are You Thankful?

Brothers and sisters, do you remember when you were children and you would ask your parents for something that you really wanted for your birthday or Christmas? I do, reminding them more and more as the date became closer. I would leave little reminders all over the place, reprioritizing my Christmas list. I was willing to go without everything else to get what I really wanted. I remember the joy I felt opening the gift and jumping for joy and hugging them. I would say thank you! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I loved seeing the smile on my parents faces as they laughed enjoying my joy and gratitude. My joy was further amplified when I realized that I also got all the items that I crossed out on my list.  I remember how loved I felt, how heard, seen, validated and cared for I felt. Now as a father I want to experience the joy of my children jumping up and down and saying, thank you! thank you! thank you! Brothers and sisters, our Heavenly Father wants that appreciation from us too.

However, we as a people tend to have a different attitude… Instead of having a heart of gratitude we have a grumbling heart.  This is dangerous and if left unchecked. Grumbling can cause great harm. I remember an experience that I had with a fellow brother in Christ. As we were traveling to our MNSOM class, we were discussing grumbling and the consequences it has on our walk and on others, especially the effect grumbling has on leadership. We were led by the Holy Spirit to the exodus of the Israelites and the effects that the grumbling of the Israelites had on Moses. 

1. Firstly, having a grumbling heart can prolong us from receiving what God has for us.

The grumbling of the Israelites caused the journey to the promised land to be extended to 40 years when it was only meant to be around 11 days. 

2.  Secondly, a grumbling heart can blind us from what is right in front of us.

The grumbling of the Israelites led to a portion of them dying from eating the quail when the Lord had provided them manna. A grumbling heart can blind us from what is right in front of us.

3. Thirdly, a grumbling heart can lead to dissension and cause divisions.

The grumbling of the Israelites led to Aaron and Miriam doubting Moses and his ability to lead which caused Moses much grief and led to Aaron and Miriam being disciplined. 

4.  Grumbling takes our focus off God and put our focus on ourselves.

As it is written: Romans 12:3-8

[3] For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. [4] For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, [5] so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. [6] We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; [7] if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; [8] if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. 

5. Finally, a grumbling heart saps the strength of those around us and can discourage our loved ones, leading them to operate in the flesh, the sinful nature and ultimately spiritual death.

The grumbling of the Israelites led to Moses striking the rock in frustration and taking credit for the water for which God provided this action. Moses could not enter the promised land due to this action and lack of credit to God.

Brothers and sisters, I would encourage you, if you are struggling with grumbling, examine yourselves with the guidance of the Holy Spirit that you may address your heart and repent.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 addresses how we are to conduct ourselves from day to day in regard to grumbling:

“[12] Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. [13] Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. [14] And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. [15] Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. [16] Rejoice always, [17] pray continually, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Thanksgiving needs to be practiced as it is a stance of worship to our Lord.

Brothers and sisters, James wrote, through the power of the Holy Spirit, about taming the tongue: 

“[3] When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. [4] Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. [5] Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. [6] The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. [7] All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, [8] but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. [9] With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. [10] Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. [11] Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? [12] My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olive, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”

James 3:3-12

It is also written in James 4:11-12:

“[11] Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. [12] There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?”

It is also written:

“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”

James 1:26

It is also written: 

"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.”

Philippians 2:14-15

Brothers and sisters, remember the God we serve. We are to love one another as HE loves us. This is a command from the most high God. If you have a problem with someone, go to God in prayer first. Humble yourself before the Father. Give your grievances to Him. Our words to each other are meant to be seasoned with salt so that it may benefit those who hear. We are meant to encourage and build up one another, bearing in love with those who are weak in the faith.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” 

Ephesians 4:29-30

I know that there is plenty that could be improved upon in our churches, but simply complaining about it, pointing it out or stating what needs to be done does nothing but exhaust and dishearten those who hear you. If you see something that needs to be changed, do not be someone who sits in a chair drinking lemonade, critiquing those who are working. Rather, grab some gloves and ease the burden or be silent. 

To put it another way:

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

James 2:14-17

Brothers and sisters, I am not without fault in this. I am guilty of being this way. Join me in coming before our Heavenly Father in humility to ask him to circumcise our heart and to obey what it is written: 

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:31-32

Before I conclude, brothers and sisters, I want to go back to the story of Moses not being allowed to enter the promised land. Many of us view that as a punishment, right? However, thanks to the Holy Spirit, I gained a deeper understanding of our Lord. God knows the motivation of our hearts. HE knows our heart condition, where we are and what we are facing. Moses was old; he was tired, frustrated and spent. There was so much more work that needed to be done. What was revealed to me is that as much as not entering the promise land was a punishment, it was more of an act of love and mercy to Moses. He would enter the Lord's rest and be delivered from a grumbling, disobedient and stiffnecked people.

Let us not be what we were before we were called a grumbling, disobedient and stiffnecked people. But let us do as the Lord commands and encourage one spurring one another along in love. Let us not lean in our own understanding and continue to complain. Let us trust in our loving,providing, merciful Heavenly Father. Showing the world what it is to be his children and how wonderful He is.

Brothers and sisters, words cannot express the joy I experienced in the revelation I received from the Holy Spirit. How thankful am I that we have a loving Heavenly Father. My words cannot fully express this love. I am grateful that He has placed me in a position in which I am able to share my joy in Him with you and the insight HE has blessed me with. Our God is so good! GLORY BE TO GOD ALMIGHTY!

Pastor Dakota Swinton

Husbands, Love Your Wives

Greetings my Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus. I pray that all is well with you and that the peace of Christ Jesus is with you all. I wanted to share with you what the Lord Has been teaching me lately in this season of my walk with Him in the hopes that it may be an encouragement to you all.

As some of you know, my beautiful wife, the crown of favor the Lord has placed upon my head, has been blessed by our Lord with the gift of a fourth child. As much joy as this brings us, it is not without its challenges. It makes me think of this scripture in:

 1 Timothy 2:8-15

[8] Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. [9] I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, [10] but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. [11] A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. [12] I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. [13] For Adam was formed first, then Eve. [14] And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. [15] But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

This has led me to reflect on each of my wife’s pregnancies and the trials both her and I have endured through them. The morning sickness, the pain, the weird specific cravings, the hormones, the mood swings (guys we fall prone to these too), the self-doubt, the fear, the planning and the nesting. We have also experienced the chaos of extended family adding their very costly, very unneeded and unwelcomed two cents that if were actual currency, Amanda I could have retired in Bora Bora. With this most recent pregnancy, unnatural fatigue has been the biggest challenge. 

However, with each new child, I have witnessed how my beautiful bride has been more and more transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. That by His power she has developed a more gentle and quiet Spirit. As it is written in:

 1 Peter 3:1-6:

[1] Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, [2] when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. [3] Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. [4] Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. [5] For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, [6] like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

I will testify that the Lord has blessed me in seeing my wife become more and more like Sarah as Peter describes. I have been blessed to watch her grow with the Holy Spirit into the woman of God He made her to be as it is written in:

 Proverbs 31:10-31

[10]  A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. [11] Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. [12] She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. [13] She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. [14] She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. [15] She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. [16] She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. [17] She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. [18] She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. [19] In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. [20] She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. [21] When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. [22] She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. [23] Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. [24] She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. [25] She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. [26] She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. [27] She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. [28] Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: [29] “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” [30] Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. [31] Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Yes, the Lord has truly blessed me with a crown of favor upon my head without whom I would not be where I am today. Yet, my brothers and sisters, I ask that you would pray for me for as much as women face in child rearing, as I stated above, to my understanding, we brothers, men of God, have our own set of trials we must face.  The Lord brought me to reflect on how I have fallen short in the past and the mercy and opportunity He brings me each day to honor Him by the way I love and serve His daughter. You see, my dear brothers, for everything our Lord asks of His daughters, He asks of His Sons all the more.

As it is written:

Ephesians 5:25-33

[25] Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her [26] to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, [27] and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. [28] In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. [29] After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— [30] for we are members of his body. [31] “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” [32] This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. [33] However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

It is also written:

 Colossians 3:19

[19] Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

It is also written:

1 Peter 3:7

[7] Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. 

As I said, I have failed in the past to love my wife the way the Lord has instructed and commanded me. I have been harsh and domineering. I have been all too often quick to speak, quick to anger and slow to listen. I have too many times held a record envied and boasted wounded with my words being easily offended, self-serving, and self-worshiping. Too many times have I asked the question “what about me?” not only to myself, but to my wife and my God. Oh, what an arrogant man I am to misuse the authority given to me by the one true King! How I have used my freedom to indulge my flesh and propping my feet up to be served, only making a mockery of the example Christ set for us. As it is written:

 Philippians 2:5-8

[5] In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; [7] rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. [8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

But my dear brothers and sisters rejoice for it is written:

 Lamentations 3:18, 21-28

[18] So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord.”

[21] Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: [22] Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. [23] They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. [24] I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” [25] The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; [26] it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. [27] It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. [28] Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on him.

Again, I say rejoice my brothers.  Rejoice for if the Lord has blessed you with another morning He has blessed you with another chance to seek first the kingdom of God. He has blessed you with another chance to humble yourself and Fear the Lord and seek wisdom. He has blessed you with another chance to lay your crown at His feet. He has blessed you with another chance to do as it is written:

 Luke 9:23-24

[23] Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. [24] For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 

Rejoice my dear brothers for with each new morning He has blessed you with another chance to love your wives as He loves as it is written:

 1 Corinthians 13:4-13

[4] Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. [8] Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. [9] For we know in part and we prophesy in part, [10] but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. [11] When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. [12] For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. [13] And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Rejoice my brothers for each new morning, our Lord blesses us with the opportunity to bear the fruits of His Holy Spirit that our wives may partake and be truly nourished as it is written:

 Galatians 5:22-26 NIV

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25] Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. [26] Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

My Brothers Men of God, our wives will eat of the fruit we bear, so let us ask our Heavenly Father to bear the fruits of His Holy Spirit so our wives may speak of us in such a way as this as it is written:

 Song of Songs 2:3-5

[3] Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. [4] Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love. [5] Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. 

Let us Rejoice dear brothers in the mercy of a new day from our Lord to die to ourselves to serve our wives. To put them higher than ourselves, to speak life over them, and into them to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Let us take every opportunity to overlook offenses and be quick to forgive. Let us Rejoice in carrying their burdens and providing them the fruits of the Spirit. Let us be their peace, safety and rest through our Lord Jesus Christ by his power. Let us be courageous and stand between our wives and the enemy with prayer and encouragement. Let us be gentle and bear with them and let us show them the love of Christ. Let us love our wives in such a way that Christ Is glorified, and our wives thank the Lord for us rather than having to ask for strength to endure us. Let us love our wives in such a way that our sons know how to love a daughter of God, and our daughters have a standard and life example of how they are to be loved so that they would not be tricked and deceived by the words and schemes of Godless men. My brothers in Christ, dear men of God, conduct yourself in such a way that if the wives of your sons say to them you are just like your father, they may wear it as a badge of honor. Conduct yourself in such a way that when your daughter searches for you in someone else (because they will like it or not) it will not fill you with fear and worry. But rather rejoicing and praising the Lord that she found a man who knows what it is to fear the Lord and obey and abide in him. 

Finally, my dear brothers if you are struggling to love your wives just as I have, I implore you humble yourselves and repent to your father in heaven that you may be forgiven and corrected. I pray that your prayers may not be hindered as it is written:

1 Peter 3:7

[7] Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. 

I pray that this message finds you well and remember it is written:  Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23

It is also written: I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

May the grace shown by the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. May the love that God has given us be with you. And may the sharing of life brought about by the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Blessings,

Pastor Dakota Swinton

Making Time for Prayer

Making time for prayer is hard and it takes the mindset like this: No matter who shows up to the hour of prayer at our church, I am going to keep doing it, even if it’s only me. Time with God is so very productive in our lifelong relationship with our creator. Prayer makes a huge difference in our life. Everything from making time a priority with God, to helping others, to being built up, and building others up. Prayer also helps us in hearing from the Holy Spirit, to sharing our thoughts, and also in sharing our highs and lows with other like-minded believers. When we share, others can help us, and we can help them.

             I am so thankful that our Church has an hour of prayer scheduled each week so we can help each other out. It has become common, in the culture of today’s world, that everything is a “for me” attitude. It’s hard to spend time on anyone else but self. It’s a sacrifice to self that has to be made to help build God’s kingdom. Are you willing to step out and into a life where God can change everything about you? Are you willing to sacrifice a little of your time?

                       Are you tithing your time the way you should be? God gives us 24 hours each day and we should tithe back to him 2 hours and 24 minutes. Though we should spend every moment of each day with God, specifically we should be praying, reading the word, and doing the things we can do for God with that tithe of 2 hours and 24 minutes.

               God revealed to me a long time ago he wanted and desired more of me than just 10% of my money for a tithe he wants your heart. That means he wants to spend time with you! He desires to know your thoughts and just sit with you.

James 4:7-8

Humility Cures Worldliness

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

 If we go to God and spend more time with him, he will purify your Heart! Do you want to see people’s lives change? Do you want to see your life change? Go to God in prayer. Spend more time with him.

Luke 10:38-42 Mary and Martha Worship and Serve

38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

God is not saying that doing things that are good should not be done. But he is saying that spending time with him is even more important!

1 Chronicles 16:8-11 8 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!

9 Sing to him, sing praises to him;

    tell of all his wondrous works!

10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!

11 Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his presence continually!

His word says to seek his presence continually! He wants us continually!

1Thessalonians 5:16-1816 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Isaiah 40:31

31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Colossians 4:2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

Do you want God to do a new work in you? Do you desire things to change? Do you Love the Lord? Do you Love the brothers and sisters in your church? Then let us pray in our alone time with God and also gather and pray with and for each other as often as we can!

I can’t wait for the next time to get together and pray for each other! Until then God Bless yall have a great week!

Your Campus Pastor,

 Kent Furch

You see that if we seek first God, the rest of our life falls into place where it ought to be. Matt.6:33 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.