FreshBread

Good Morning Friends,
I am really excited about this Sunday! We have a lot of surprises to throw at you! Yesterday I read a devotional that I thought I might share with you today, as it really spoke to the area of concern that we have been looking at this week….check this out!

Master, we have toiled all night, and caught nothing: nevertheless, at Your word, we will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5).
Too often, when we toil all night and catch nothing, we look for something to blame: the weather is bad, the fish are not biting, the boat is too small, the water is too cold and so on. Or we travel from lake to lake, pond to pond, looking for the right “spot”. And sure enough, there is always someone willing to sell us a new boat, a special kind of bait or lure, or a manual for how to catch more fish. We work harder and harder, but are disappointed.
When we cease trying to do what we cannot do, then the Lord will begin to do what only He can do anyway. The Lord is Infinite Supply. So it does not matter if we have much or little, if we are skilled or unskilled, if we are experienced or inexperienced. “And when they had done [what Jesus said to do] they caught a great multitude of fish, and the net broke” (Luke 5:6). Peter, James, and John can try as they might and do their best, but without the word of the Lord it is in vain. They might have saved themselves a lot of effort had they sought the word of the Lord to begin with. Which would you rather have: a whole night of wasted effort on your own, or five minutes of abundance with the Lord? Yes, we should work, but first we must wait. And if we will wait for the Lord, then we will have an Infinite Supply for the work at hand.

That gave me a few things to wrestle with and I hope it does for you also. See you this weekend.

Scott

Good Morning Friends,
Remember Sunday we spoke of the fact that in the Hebrew way of thinking, to love someone is a decision of the Will, it is a willingness to submit to them; thus, Paul starts off a passage where he is discussing the roles of a husband and wife with:

21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ…..Ephesians 5:21

When times are tough we seem to have more difficulty with this. However, it does little good to complain about our spouse. All complaining does is place us in a victim role. When we say if only they would do this, or just understand this, we are just finding comfort in that victim role. Many times we get stuck in self pity or we wallow in acting helpless, or we enjoy the power of being catered to. These kind of thoughts and behavior patterns steal our freedom and put a strain on the relationship. REMEMBER, real freedom has been given to you by Jesus Christ — don’t sit around and wait for it! You now have to walk in the freedom he has placed within you. This is the way that you take responsibility for your actions, thoughts, fears and desires! Love is about submission, but before you can love anyone, you must first love yourself (Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself) and stop blaming others for where you might be at! Take a walk with God today and let him know of your fears, struggles and pain. He enjoys walking and listening to you!
Let’s talk in the AM

Scott

This morning I read a powerful devotional….here is part of it:
“It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing” (John 6:63).
If we grow impatient and fall into the flesh, then we become weaker. To react in the flesh diminishes spiritual authority and this must be avoided at all costs. Allowing the flesh to have its way for only a moment guarantees defeat against a spiritual adversary.

The author is speaking right into our discussions in church about carrying bucket #3. If we set it down for bucket one, we put the “black shirt” back on and walk in the flesh. There is NO need to do this for the flesh has been crucified, but many times we choose to walk as a dead man and thus diminishes the power that God has placed within us! As I mentioned this Sunday, walking in the flesh is easier (at least for a while); bucket #3 is harder, but it is BEST! I am praying for you this week. I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS WEEKEND. If you find carrying bucket #3 really hard or if debt ways you down, DO NOT MISS THIS WEEKEND. Have a great day, let’s talk in the AM!

Scott