It's All About Getting into Our Father's Presence!

Mark 1:35-45

35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

In this verse it is very clear that Jesus wanted no distractions with his Father and wanted to get a message from Him and direction. He wanted his Father’s full attention with no one interrupting him.

It should be very clear to us that we should want that time with our Father in Heaven. We should do just as our example Jesus did. I believe the time of day is important as well. In the morning, we should be rising a great deal before our day begins. We should seek God before our thoughts start really moving. That is when we should ask our Father what’s important.

36 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.

I like this verse because it says they followed him. Do we follow our Lord and Savior?

Just like the 12 we too should always seek to know our Savior Jesus Christ more. We should feel like we never spend enough time with Him.

37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.

Do you really seek out to know him? Praying and reading the word is a good start to every day.

38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

There it is right there.  Jesus knows what he is supposed to do. Why? Because he spent time with the Father and he was given direction! How do we expect to know which way to go if we do not spend time with our Father in Heaven. If we are not reading the word or spending time getting to know our Father we are like strangers. We will not hear well when he is talking and we will not know his voice if we spend too little time with him. You are in charge of your relationship with him. You choose the time, the place, and how long and how often you make time for Him. He is always available night or day.  It’s up to you to facilitate that schedule and keep it.

 Do a devotion in the morning. Do a reading time for 15 minutes and some prayer for 15 minutes and be faithful with it. Then you will start to hear from your loving Father in a new way.

39 And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

Then he went after his commune with the Father.

40 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

Then came to Him and his Father then gave him an opportunity to help someone!

41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

Jesus moved with compassion. WOW! Yes, we should move with compassion as well.

42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

The leprosy departed as soon as He spoke. There is power in our words and we need to pay attention to what we are saying.

43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;

Do we offer instructions to someone we have prayed for or is it just one prayer and then we are done?

Have you ever asked God to share with you what direction He has for you after praying? HMMM… makes you think I hope.

44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Even after being healed the man did not follow instructions. How often do we not follow instructions? Does it impede the relationship and how God can work in us and through us?

45 But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

If we do not follow the path and the instructions God gives us, it hinders where and how effective God can work in our lives.

It’s not about our point of view or how we think and perceive things.  It’s about getting to know our God and getting into his presence as much as we can should be continually 24/7 all day every day. We also need that quality, quiet, uninterrupted time with Him as well.

Luke 5:16

16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Often is the key to building our relationship with God and others of the same faith.

Go to God first and then we will be full with a message for our brothers and sisters.

Psalm 119:14-16

14 I rejoice in following your statutes

    as one rejoices in great riches.

15 I meditate on your precepts

    and consider your ways.

16 I delight in your decrees;

    I will not neglect your word.

Matthew 6:6

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Colossians 3:15-17

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

17 Pray without ceasing.

Never get enough of God.  You will always need more and should always want more!!!

Campus Pastor Kent Furch, Northwood Church Springfield                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Love ya’ll have a great week!

Holy Spirit: Fruits, Gifts, and Body

7-Day Devotional

Day 1: The Gift of God’s Presence

Scripture:

“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.”

— John 3:16 (NIV)

Reflection:

Before we talk about what the Spirit gives, we must first marvel at Who the Spirit is — the presence of God given to us through Jesus Christ. He didn’t just save us from sin; He brought us into communion with Himself. The Holy Spirit isn’t a concept, He’s a person. He dwells with us, teaches us, convicts us, empowers us, and reminds us that we are God’s children. You are loved — with the genuine affection of Christ Jesus.

Question for Today:

Have you welcomed the presence of the Holy Spirit into your daily life? What would change if you did?

Day 2: The Fruit of the Spirit

Scripture:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

— Galatians 5:22–23 (NIV)

Reflection:

The fruit of the Spirit is the evidence of God’s work within us. These aren't character traits we manufacture — they are grown in us as we remain connected to Jesus, the true vine (John 15:1-5). Real fruit comes through surrender, not striving. The more we walk with the Spirit, the more His fruit flows out of us naturally.

Question for Today:

Which fruit of the Spirit do you see most in your life? Which one do you feel the Holy Spirit wants to grow in you right now?

Day 3: Remain in the Vine

Scripture:

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.”

— John 15:4 (NIV)

Reflection:

Jesus didn’t ask us to produce results — He asked us to remain. When we remain in Him, we bear much fruit. When we walk with the Spirit, we become more like Jesus. Our job is to remain in the vine — through prayer, obedience, community, and love. Let Him prune what needs to be cut. Let Him produce what you cannot.

Question for Today:

What does remaining in Christ look like in your life right now? Is anything pulling you away from the vine?

Day 4: The Gifts of the Spirit

Scripture:

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them… Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

— 1 Corinthians 12:4,7 (NIV)

Reflection:

God gives His children gifts — not for show, but for service. Each gift is a manifestation of the Spirit for the good of the Church. Wisdom, knowledge, healing, faith, tongues, prophecy — all of them are holy and useful when submitted to the Spirit’s will. Don’t envy someone else’s gift. Ask the Spirit what He’s given you and how to use it.

Question for Today:

What spiritual gift has the Holy Spirit given you — and are you using it for the good of others?

Day 5: One Body, Many Parts

Scripture:

“Just as a body, though one, has many parts… so it is with Christ… Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

— 1 Corinthians 12:12,27 (NIV)

Reflection:

We aren’t just individuals — we are members of one body. Every believer has a role to play, and every role matters. You might be a hand, a foot, a voice, a ligament. You may be visible or hidden, but you are vital. When each of us operates in our God-given calling, the Church becomes a living, loving, moving Body of Christ.

Question for Today:

Do you know what part of the Body God has made you to be? Are you functioning joyfully in that part?

Day 6: Unity in the Spirit

Scripture:

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope… one Lord, one faith, one baptism…”

— Ephesians 4:4–5 (NIV)

Reflection:

What binds us together is not culture, politics, or personality — it’s the Holy Spirit. The Spirit unites the Church in love, despite all our differences. The Body suffers when we compare or compete. But when we celebrate one another and walk in unity, the Church thrives. Let’s protect the unity of the Spirit and value every member of the Body.

Question for Today:

Is there anyone in the Body you’ve devalued or distanced yourself from? Ask the Spirit to restore unity and love.

Day 7: A Bountiful Harvest

Scripture:

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last…”

— John 15:16 (NIV)

Reflection:

You were chosen by Jesus to bear fruit that will last. Fruit for the lost. Gifts for the Church. Love for one another. This is the life of a believer walking in the Spirit: abiding in Christ, surrendered to sanctification, overflowing with love. The world is hungry for hope — will you let your life be an orchard they can eat from?

Question for Today:

What fruit do you want your life to produce for God’s glory? What step can you take today to abide in Him?

Pastor Dakota Swinton

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit…Who is He and what does He do?

The Holy Spirit is part of the Triune God – God the Father; Jesus, God the Son, our Lord and Savior; and God the Holy Spirit. These three beings make up our God. They are separate and each have unique jobs and they are one and work together in like-mind.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS INTRODUCED

Genesis 1:1-2 NIV: 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit) was hovering over the waters. (My note.)

HE IS OUR COMFORTER/ADVOCATE

John 14:15-17 KJV: 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

John 14:15-17 NIV: 15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

HE WILL TEACH US ALL THINGS AND BRING THEM TO OUR REMEMBRANCE

John 14:26 KJV: But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost (AKA: Holy Spirit), whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (My note.)

John 14:26 NIV: But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit (AKA: Holy Ghost), whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (My note.)

HE LEADS US INTO ALL TRUTH

Jesus speaking here: John 16:12-14 NIV: 12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth (the Holy Spirit), comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. (My note.)

WATER BAPTISM AND HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM

John the Baptist speaking here: Matthew 3:11 NIV: “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

JESUS SPEAKS OF WHAT THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT BRINGS

Acts 1:8 NIV: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

THE FIRST HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM ON THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND THE GOSPEL

Acts 2:1-21 NIV: When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “‘In the last days, God says,  I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

THE FIRST HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM ON GENTILES (NON-JEWISH PEOPLE)

Acts 10:23b-48 NIV: 23b The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” 27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

The Holy Spirit baptism is for every believer. When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our hearts. He guides us through life and warns us of things we should stay away from. He gives us boldness to spread the Gospel. He encourages us. He helps us praise God. And, it is by Him that we can say, “Jesus is Lord.”

1 Corinthians 12:3 NIV: Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

Thanks for reading! God bless you!

Pastor Vicky Conklin-Johnson

Prayer Ministries Pastor

Loving is Hard

It is hard to shift the focus off ourselves. After all it is a favorite topic. Often, we can be very quick to share our experiences, what we have learned, or our opinion. I find myself sometimes not truly hearing when someone shares about themselves. I am busy planning my response or finding the answer. When I find myself doing this, I have to stop and deliberately slow down and truly listen. Listen to someone else and actually hear them, hear their heart, hear their needs. When someone shares with you, pray about your response. “God What should I say? What do they need to hear?” If we take the time to truly listen it becomes easier to love those around us. When our focus shifts from us to them, as we listen with ears that are tuned to God, we can show love to them. 1 Corinthians 13 says that “Love Is Patient” and I know that is one point in my life that needs work. So, I find that if I take those small moments when someone is sharing to be patient and hear them, it makes the next step of showing them the love of Christ easier. And when you walk in the power of the Spirit, it becomes easier to interact with those who you do not like. It is hard to love those we don't like or disagree with, but that is our calling as followers of Christ, “...to love one another as I have loved you”(John 13:34-35)

This is the call for believers, to love one another as Christ loved each and every one of us. We know that Christ died for the whole world so our love for others should start with fellow believers, but as a result, our love should then spill over to everyone, even those who oppose the word of God.

“God, I pray that today we can show love, like your love for us, to someone needing your touch. Help us be patient and bold in showing this love. In Jesus mighty name amen!”

-Pastor Joshua, Worship Art’s Pastor-

 Matt 5:43-45

“43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

 Romans 12:10

 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Romans 13:8

 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law

Being in the Eye of the Storm

How often do the storms of life bring us down and have a major impact on how we live at that very time. Who can we turn to in the storm? Who is the one with the answers for us? Who is always there? When we are faced with troubles, we all need to make sure we are grounded in the Word, and we need to know that prayer is what will carry us through.

In the eye of the storm everything seems quiet and settled down. We know we will have to go through to the other side, but it does offer a little relief from what has been going on.  This is when we should really seek God. He can speak so clearly at this time to us but we have to listen to him and act accordingly to his will for us.

It seems easy when you think about it but it’s never that easy when you are going through it. How can we keep it that easy? In whom do you trust?

Isaiah 26: 3 You will keep in perfect peace

    those whose minds are steadfast,

    because they trust in you.

Do you trust him to bring you through? He is our perfect peace!

Psalm 91:1-2; 9-16

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]

2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

    my God, in whom I trust.”

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”

    and you make the Most High your dwelling,

10 no harm will overtake you,

    no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you

    to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,

    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;

    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;

    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;

    I will be with him in trouble,

    I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him

    and show him my salvation.”

Is God the one you’re calling out to? Are you focusing on the storm or the one who can bring you through it and calm it?

When we have Jesus as our Guide, he can calm any storm and bring us through!

Matthew 8:23-27

Jesus Calms the Storm

23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

You see he is our lifeguard, our life saver, our all in all! He is the one with the power to calm any storm and walks with us through it! So, when you are faced with the storm in life call upon him to help you through; it. Before the storm ever sets in, have a relationship with him so you will know his voice and his ways of dealing with things, let his words and his ways follow you all your days.

Blessings to you all,

Pastor Kent Furch

Northwood Church Springfield Campus Pastor  

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