Plant The Seed Of Faith

You can till the soil, pull the weeds, and drop the seed in the furrow - but you can't command life to burst out of a dry kernel. Our greatest source of spiritual exhaustion is trying to force germination. We put in the work, say the prayers, or invest in a relationship, and then anxiously hover over the ground - demanding immediate proof of progress. When nothing breaks through the soil right away, we panic and try to manufacture visible fruit with our own hands.

Paul dismantles this frantic striving with a reality check: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6–7)

Look at the clean line Paul draws: faithfulness is your assignment - the miracle is God's jurisdiction. When you cross that boundary, obedience turns into obsession:

- Anxious hovering is disguised unbelief: Checking the topsoil every twelve hours doesn't accelerate the harvest - it only damages the roots.

- Silence beneath the surface isn't stagnation: Just because nothing has broken through doesn't mean God is idle. He does His deepest work in the dark long before anything catches the sun.

- Your responsibility ends at the watering can: You're called to sow truth, act with integrity, and show up faithfully. The internal transformation belongs to the King.

Do the practical work in front of you with excellence, cover the ground in prayer, and take your hands off the dirt. Trust the God who gives the growth to finish what He started.

- David Delfeld

Provided by "I Am With You Always"

Sermon: "Let The Dirt Do Its Work"

Shattered Yet Seen

Sometimes the pain is so vast it feels like your heart has been broken into pieces you cannot gather back. In those moments, the enemy urges you to stare at the ruins instead of the Redeemer, and your thoughts become consumed by loss and confusion.

But being shattered does not mean you are unseen. In fact, it is often the place where God sees you most clearly.

When we are consumed by what went wrong, who hurt us, and what we lost, we can forget something eternal: God is already ahead of us. Whatever is coming, whatever feels uncertain, He is already there. He is making a way, preparing what you will need, and covering you with a protection you may not even fully recognize yet. It has never been luck. Even in the seasons where everything felt exposed and vulnerable, God had a hedge around your life.

And the enemy knows it. That is why he is strategic. If he cannot shake you directly, he will come through the people closest to you, stirring division, planting doubt, and twisting truth in ways so subtle you almost miss it. But you have authority in Jesus to shut the door on what he is trying to build in your relationships and your mind. Even when you break free from one stronghold, do not be surprised if he returns through a different door. That is not a sign that you have failed. It is a sign that you are making progress. Through every attack and every attempt, God is still fighting for you, and His presence does not waver simply because your emotions do.

There will be moments when you feel shattered, distant from God, like your hunger for Him has gone or been buried under the weight of everything you are carrying. But shattered does not mean unseen. It does not mean He has stepped away. Often, it means you are standing in the middle of a spiritual battle.

This is where obedience becomes vital, not easy or natural but powerful. Because even when your heart feels broken open, when you feel scattered and undone, you still choose Him. You turn on worship with trembling hands. You pray through the ache. You sit in His presence even when you feel shattered. And somehow in that choice, something deeper is happening. Your heart may feel like it is in pieces, but your spirit is being held together, strengthened, seen. Even here, especially here, you are not lost to Him.

God sees the tears you hide and the battles you fight in silence. Nothing about your pain is unseen, even when it feels like you are carrying it alone. You are not forgotten by Him, even if you feel overlooked by people. You are fully known, fully understood, and never out of His sight. Even in your brokenness and pain, He is near, holding your hand. He does not step back from your suffering but stays close through it all. And every time you choose to keep going and trust Him, even when it is hard and even when you feel like you have nothing left, He sees it and values it deeply.

So even here, in what feels like your most fragile place, you are not abandoned or overlooked. You are held with intention, carried with love, and seen completely by the One who never looks away from you.

Excerpt from "Seeing God In Your Brokenness" reading plan provided by "YouVersion"

Quote: Louie Giglio

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-25

Life by the Spirit

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. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

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.

Power To Please God

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Galatians 5:16 (NKJV)

The Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome the sin that we carry around within us because we still live in bodies contaminated by sin. This is the purpose of the Spirit's filling. To help you understand and appropriate the reality of this, let me make five observations about the exciting, powerful, yet often misunderstood verse we're reading today.

First, Paul is definitely talking about yielding control of your will to another. The drunk yields to alcohol. We are to yield to the Spirit. That's a big difference, but the principle is the same in each case.

Second, notice that the positive statement is a command. Paul is not saying, “If you'd like to, it would be nice if you were filled with the Spirit.” He is saying that if you are going to please God, then you must be filled with His Spirit.

Third, this is a plural command. It applies to every believer. The Spirit's fullness is not for the elite few. There are Christians you may look at and say, “If I could just be like them. They love Jesus so much, and they walk so closely with Him. Why can't I be like that?” You can. The difference is the filling of the Spirit, not the fact that they have something you don't.

Fourth, this plural command is also passive. You can't fill yourself. This is the sovereign activity of the Spirit. That means your attempts to fill yourself are going to be very unfulfilling.

Fifth, this plural, passive command is also present tense, meaning it is a continuous action. You don't get filled today and expect it to cover you tomorrow, just like you don't eat Sunday dinner and expect it to carry you to next Sunday. The Holy Spirit's filling is a dynamic, moment-by-moment experience.

Why is it that way? Because we live in a world that depletes our filling. Sin depletes the filling. When you go against your conscience, it is depleted. So the Spirit's fullness is constantly being depleted, not because He is deficient, but because we are imperfect Christians who still carry the principle of sin around with us.

Have you asked the Holy Spirit to fill and control you today? He will, if that's your prayer.

Excerpt from "Time to Get Serious" - Tony Evans

The Psalms Project

Often, as I read a chapter from the book of Psalms, I find myself wondering how it might have sounded when the author first wove those words into a poetic hymn. Have you ever paused to imagine that?

Recently, the Lord led me to a wonderful discovery - a band called The Psalms Project. If you haven’t heard of them, you’re in for a blessing. They’ve taken on the incredible mission of setting all 150 Psalms to music, preserving the meaning of every verse while bringing them to life through modern melodies and heartfelt worship.

They’ve collaborated with dozens of musicians - including well‑known artists like Phil Keaggy and Jeff Deyo - to create rich, thoughtful arrangements that honor the beauty and depth of Scripture.

I just had to share this new find because it has already been such a gift to me. Their music feels like stepping into the Psalms themselves - hearing them not only as ancient poetry, but as living worship.

You can find their work on most music streaming platforms, and they also have a YouTube channel. I personally listen through Spotify and even created a playlist with all the Psalms released so far, arranged in chronological order. It’s become one of my favorite ways to soak in Scripture. Check them out! And God bless!!

Prayer: Father, I surrender...

Father God,

I come before You with a heart that feels exhausted, overwhelmed, and heavy. God, it feels like depression is swallowing me whole, like the darkness is getting louder than the hope I am trying so hard to hold onto. You see the battles I do not have the words to explain. You see the tears I wipe away, the moments I feel numb, the thoughts that tell me I am too tired to keep going. You see every part of me, even the parts I feel ashamed of, and You do not turn away.

God, remind me that my feelings are real, but they are not the final truth. Depression may feel like a wave crashing over me, but You are the One who holds me when I cannot hold myself. When my mind tells me I am alone, remind me that Your presence has never left me. When my heart feels broken beyond repair, remind me that You are close to the brokenhearted and that You are still working in places I cannot see.

Father, I am tired of fighting battles that nobody else knows I am fighting. I am tired of pretending I am okay when I feel like I am falling apart inside. Please meet me in this moment. Give me strength for today, not just for tomorrow. Give me the courage to take the next breath, the next step, the next small moment. Help me stop measuring my worth by how productive I am, how strong I appear, or how well I can hide my pain. Remind me that I am Your beloved child before I am anything else.

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:5

Spiritual Maturity

Following Jesus isn't just learning about Him - it’s becoming like Him. It means allowing the Holy Spirit to reshape the deepest parts of who you are, surrendering your pride, desires, fears, and ambitions to the authority of Christ.

When you first place your faith in Jesus, you're justified - declared righteous in His sight. But that's only the beginning. Next comes sanctification: the lifelong process of being transformed into His image. It touches every single corner of your life:

- How you respond when you're wronged.

- How you handle temptation when nobody's watching.

- How you view money, status, suffering, and even your enemies.

Jesus didn't come simply to improve your old nature - He came to recreate you entirely. The more you walk with Him, the more His character replaces your own: love displaces hatred, humility breaks pride, and forgiveness cures bitterness. What once controlled you loses its grip.

This process is slow and often painful, requiring deep conviction, repentance, and daily surrender. But take heart - transformation isn't a burden you carry alone, it's a supernatural work the Spirit performs within you.

The Christian life isn't about trying harder to "act like Jesus." It’s about abiding in Him so deeply that His life naturally begins to flow through yours. True spiritual maturity isn't measured by how much you know about Christ, but by how much you resemble Him.

"And we all... are being transformed into the same image

from one degree of glory to another."

2 Corinthians 3:18

- David Delfeld

Provided by "I Am With You Always"

Meme: Stand Still

Blessed Are Those Who Believe

Thomas wanted proof. He wanted to see the wounds, touch the scars, and remove every doubt before he’d believe. But Jesus turned Thomas's hesitation into a blessing declared across centuries:

“Blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have believed.”

John 20:29

That blessing includes us.

We’ve never watched Jesus calm a storm, raise the dead, or step out of an empty tomb. Yet through the testimony of Scripture, the witness of the apostles, and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, we’ve come to know Him deeply.

Biblical faith isn't blind faith. It’s grounded trust in a Savior who’s revealed Himself through real history - fulfilling prophecy, transforming lives, and conquering death. While the world says, "Seeing is believing," Jesus flips the script: Believing is blessed.

If you’re walking through a season where you can't see what God is doing, take heart. Faith doesn't mean having every answer figured out - it means trusting the One who holds them.

One day, our faith will finally become sight. Until then, blessed are those who believe.

- David Delfeld

Provided by "I Am With You Always"

Jesus Wants You To Know...

This blessing of three Persons in one greatly enriches your prayer life. You can pray to the Father in My Name; you can also speak directly to Me. And the Holy Spirit is continually available to help you with your prayers. Do not be perturbed by mysteries of the Godhead. Instead, respond to these wonders with joyous praise and adoration!

"Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me."

John 12:44-45

Provided by "Jesus Always" by Sarah Young

Scripture: Proverbs 16:20

Prayer: Lord, Help Me To Be Slow To Anger

Lord, help me be slow to anger, pausing before I react, controlling my temper instead of letting it control me, responding with patience instead of exploding.

Anger comes so quickly, rising up before I’ve even thought about it, reacting faster than wisdom, speaking before I consider consequences, and I regret it every time.

Teach me to create space between what triggers me and how I respond, to breathe before I speak, to think before I act, to choose patience over instant reaction.

Being slow to anger doesn’t mean never feeling angry but refusing to let anger dictate my words and actions, controlling the response even when the emotion is strong.

Help me recognize my triggers, the things that set me off quickly, so I can be more aware, more prepared, more intentional about slowing down when anger rises.

Remind me that You are slow to anger, patient with me through countless provocations, and I’m called to reflect Your character in how I handle my own anger.

Give me self-control when I feel anger building, wisdom to know when to speak and when to stay silent, grace to respond gently even when I feel like exploding.

Let me be slow to anger today, pausing instead of reacting, choosing patience over temper, reflecting Your character in how I handle frustration and provocation.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Provided by "Faithful Grace"

Scripture: Psalm 107:14

Lord, Heal In Me What I Can't Even Name

Maybe there's so much going on inside that you can't separate one thing from another anymore. Old wounds mixed with new worries. Past trauma layered with present anxiety. Grief you thought you'd processed resurfacing. Pain you didn't know you were carrying until something triggered it.

And when someone asks, "What's wrong?" you don't know how to answer. Because it's not one thing. It's everything at once. A tangle of hurts you can't unravel, let alone name.

But what if you don't need to name it to bring it to God?

God hears every quiet prayer. But sometimes you don't even have words for a prayer, quiet or otherwise.

That's where Romans 8:26 comes in: "In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered."

When you can't articulate what hurts, the Spirit can. When you don't have words for the tangle of pain, anxiety, and old wounds, God already knows. You don't need to diagnose your own brokenness before asking Him to heal it.

God sees what you can't see in yourself. He knows your heart better than you know it. He understands the unnamed pain, the accumulation of everything you're carrying, past and present, better than you ever could.

You don't need to separate the old trauma from the new anxiety. You don't need to identify which wound needs healing first.

You just need to bring all of it, the named and unnamed, the understood and mysterious, to the One who sees it all clearly.

Today, if you're carrying a tangle of pain you can't sort through, bring it to God anyway. You don't need words. He already knows.

Provided by "Faithful Grace"

Quote: Nan Jones

God's Healing Hand

Some of the most beautiful things in life are not untouched. They have been broken. Weathered. Repaired. And lovingly restored. The same is often true of us. The wounds we carry may never completely disappear, but they no longer define us. Through God's grace, they become part of a larger story... a story of healing, perseverance, and faithfulness.

What once felt like a broken place can become a reminder of how far God has brought us. Not because the journey was easy. But because He never abandoned us in it. If you're walking through a difficult season today, don't lose heart. God is still at work, even in the places that feel fractured. His healing often creates something more beautiful than we could have imagined.

Provided by "Mindful Christianity"

Pause To Pray...

When we pause to pray....

We step from the doorway of discouragement to the pathway of peace.

We trade worry for worship.

We magnify God and become less intimidated by our problems.

We hold up the banner of victory and lay down the label of victim.

We quicken what's most alive in our spirit and quiet the chaos of living in a sin-soaked world.

Where do you need less of your brain power and more of His prayer power in your life right now?

Take some time to practice trading your worry for worship. Because thinking about, talking about and worrying about something is not the same as praying about it.

- Lysa TerKeurst

Don't Stop Reading In The Middle Of The Story

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:17–18 (NKJV)

Imagine reading a book and stopping in the hardest chapter. The hero is struggling, everything seems lost, and nothing makes sense. If you closed the book there, you would think the story ended in defeat.

Many of us do that with our own lives. We let today's pain convince us that tomorrow has no hope. But God is still writing the story. This chapter may be difficult, but it is not the last one.

Don't let today's struggle make you forget the ending God has already promised.

Provided by "Divine Insight"

When We Run Out, Jesus Steps In

Have you ever found yourself in a place where you have done everything you know to do, but the situation still feels impossible?

A place where you have prayed, waited, and hoped, but you are still standing in the middle of uncertainty? Maybe you feel like you have run out of answers. Maybe you feel like the joy, strength, opportunity, or hope you once carried is running low. But the story of Jesus turning water into wine in John 2 reminds us of a powerful truth: when we run out, Jesus steps in.

At the wedding in Cana, a problem appeared that seemed impossible to solve. The celebration was running out of wine, and there was nothing the people could do to fix it. But Mary, the mother of Jesus, knew exactly where to turn. She went to Jesus because she knew that what was impossible for people was possible for Him. Mary had faith before she had evidence. She did not know how Jesus would solve the problem or what the miracle would look like, but she knew that Jesus was able.

That is what faith does. Faith does not require us to understand every detail. Faith requires us to trust the One who holds every detail. Mary’s instruction to the servants was simple: “Do whatever He tells you.” Those words were not just instructions for the servants at the wedding but they are instructions for every believer today.

Sometimes God’s greatest miracles begin with our smallest acts of obedience. The servants did not see the miracle immediately. They filled the jars with water first. They obeyed before they understood. They moved before they saw the outcome. Then Jesus did what only Jesus could do, He took something ordinary and made it extraordinary.

Prayer: Steady

For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,

And I have walked in Your truth.

Psalm 26:3 (NKJV)

Lord, you know me better than anyone else does. You have searched my thoughts, examined every part of my life, and refined my heart. It is only by your mercy that I stand righteous. As long as I keep my eyes fixed on you, I will never stray.

I want the world to know I am intensely devoted to you, choosing to walk before you in honor. Your faithfulness steadies me. Your holiness reminds me that apart from you, I am nothing. I approach your throne with songs of thanksgiving, awed by the miraculous ways you've changed my life. I owe everything to you.

Look at what you've done for me - I'm not tempted by wickedness and have no desire to hang out with deceptive, conniving people. Establish me as one of your innocent ones, so I will never deviate from this remarkable path of faith. In your glorious presence, I have found my home. Thank you for your love.

Excerpt from "Prayers On Fire" by Brenna Stockman

Sermon: "Cover The Spread"

Meme: Freedom

Jesus Wants You To Know...

"Stop worrying, and listen carefully for My voice. But remember that I speak softly. If your own thoughts are too noisy, you will not hear Me. . . That is why I gave you a special gift - My Spirit inside you. Ask My Spirit to quiet your thoughts so that you can hear Mine. Then sit peacefully in My Presence - letting My thoughts become yours."

"...love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice,

and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life..."

Deuteronomy 30:20 (NIV)

Excerpt from "Jesus Calling for Kids" by Sarah Young

Meme: Reflect God's Love

The Modern-Day Idol Of Materialism

The apostle John, towards the end of his life, wrote a series of short letters to people he cared about. His final words in one of those letters came straight from his father’s heart:

“Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts”

1 John 5:21 (NLT)

The words are simple, but they reflect a powerful truth. We need to watch out for anything that might compete with God for our love, trust, and devotion. Anything that pushes God out of the center of our lives is, whether we realize it or not, an idol.

One of the biggest idols we face is materialism. Materialism isn’t so much about the things we have as it is about what they do for us. When we look to them, rather than to God, for our safety, validation, or comfort, those possessions have usurped the throne of our hearts. We may not say it out loud, but our actions show that we have begun to trust money, things, or status more than we trust God.

Jesus warned, “You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money” (Matthew 6:24, NLT). Idolatry always leads to bondage. It promises security, but instead it fuels anxiety and a restless chase for more. Paul was clear about this in Colossians 3:5, calling greed a form of idolatry. When we believe that more will save us, fulfill us, or make us feel valuable, our hearts are pulled away from God.

But there is a better way. When God is at the center of our hearts, everything else finds its proper place. Instead of gripping things tightly, we can hold them loosely, as blessings from him that he has given us to manage. We become stewards, not owners.

This perspective brings freedom and peace. We don’t depend on what we have for our happiness. So, we don’t get obsessed with accumulating things, getting rich, or improving our status. And we don’t feel like our world is coming to an end if we go through loss.

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart. Has anything been taking God’s place in your affections? Begin to surrender those areas to him. Practice gratitude for what you already have, and watch how contentment grows. Worship him daily, lifting your eyes off what you lack and onto who he is. His love is enough, and his presence is better than anything you could buy or earn.

You will only find real freedom and lasting joy when Jesus is first. Today, choose to enthrone Jesus in his rightful place in your heart.

Excerpt from "Understanding Spiritual Warfare" devotional by Dr. Mark Jones

Music: "Don't Let Me Forget"

Human Life Is Never An Accident

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” Long before your first heartbeat, your first breath, or your first step, you were already known by God.

Jeremiah 1:5 reminds us that human life is never an accident or an afterthought. Before anyone else knew your name, the Creator of the universe did. Before the world placed expectations on you, He’d already seen your life in its entirety. Every joy, every trial, every victory, and every tear was known to Him from the beginning.

This truth gives every human life immeasurable value. Our worth isn’t determined by our achievements, failures, or whether others recognize our significance. It’s grounded in the God who intentionally creates each person in His image and calls them according to His purpose.

If God knew you before you were formed, then He hasn’t forgotten you today. Whatever season you’re walking through, you’re not unseen, overlooked, or abandoned. The same God who knew you before birth still holds your life in His hands - and remains faithful to accomplish His purposes.

You’ve never been a stranger to your Maker. You’ve always been known. You’ve always been passionately loved. And through the radical grace of Jesus, you’re invited to step out of the dark and to intimately know the One who knew you first.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;

Before you were born I sanctified you;..."

Jeremiah 1:5a (NKJV)

- David Delfeld

Provided by "I Am With You Always"

In A Single Season...

Never underestimate what God can do in a single season.

We often assume that because our circumstances have remained the same for a long time, they will always remain that way. We begin measuring God’s faithfulness by our current reality instead of His eternal promises. Yet throughout Scripture, God repeatedly reminds us that He is not limited by timelines, human expectations, or impossible situations. The God who created the heavens and the earth is more than able to change the direction of a life in ways no one could have imagined.

One season can look ordinary, and the next can become the very season that changes everything.

David understood this better than most. Before he was ever known as Israel’s greatest king, he was simply a shepherd caring for sheep in the fields. His days were filled with responsibilities that seemed unnoticed by everyone except God. While others saw an overlooked young man, God saw a king in preparation. The wilderness was not a delay to God’s plan. It was the classroom where David learned courage, dependence, humility, and faith. Every lion he defeated and every bear he faced was preparing him for a giant that would one day stand before him. Then, in God’s perfect timing, everything changed. The shepherd became the king.

David did not promote himself into the palace. God brought him there.

Ruth’s story reminds us that faithfulness in small places is never wasted. She was a widow living with uncertainty, gathering leftover grain behind harvesters simply to survive. By the world’s standards, her future appeared limited. She wasn’t searching for influence or wealth. She was simply choosing obedience one day at a time, faithfully caring for Naomi and trusting the God of Israel. Yet the very field where she gathered scraps became the field she would one day possess. God transformed a place of survival into a place of inheritance.

Only God can write stories like that.

Mordecai experienced another remarkable reversal. For years he faithfully served without recognition. He sat outside the king’s gate while others enjoyed positions of influence inside the palace. There were moments when it probably seemed as though his faithfulness had gone unnoticed. Yet God was working behind scenes Mordecai could not see. At exactly the right moment, the king remembered him. The man who once waited outside the palace gates was suddenly welcomed inside with honor. What looked like years of silence became the foundation for an incredible testimony of God’s faithfulness.

Jesus Wants You To Know...

"Draw near to Me with a thankful heart, aware that your cup is overflowing with blessings. Gratitude enables you to perceive Me more clearly and to rejoice in our Love-relationship. Nothing can separate you from My loving Presence! That is the basis of your security. Whenever you start to feel anxious, remind yourself that your security rests in Me alone, and I am totally trustworthy."

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

"Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young

Sermon: "A Troubled Mind And An Open Door"

The First Disciples

“Behold the Lamb of God!”

John 1

God Isn't Trying To Break You

Don't despise the pressure.

Clay doesn't become beautiful by being left alone.

It is pressed.

Shaped.

Turned.

Refined.

Again and again.

Sometimes we ask God,

"Why is this season so difficult?"

When perhaps the better question is,

"What are You forming in me?"

The Potter never applies pressure without purpose.

Every turn of the wheel.

Every stretch.

Every moment that feels uncomfortable.

Every season that makes no sense.

Is in the hands of Someone who already sees the finished masterpiece.

The clay doesn't tell the Potter what it should become.

It simply stays in His hands.

Maybe that's the invitation for us today.

Stop fighting every difficult season.

Stop assuming every hardship means God has abandoned you.

Sometimes the pressure you're feeling isn't punishment.

It's preparation.

God isn't trying to break you.

He's shaping you into someone who can carry what He's preparing to place in your hands.

Trust the Potter.

Even when you don't understand the process.

Because the hands that are shaping you...

Are the same hands that created you.

But now, O Lord,

You are our Father;

We are the clay, and You our potter;

And all we are the work of Your hand.

Isaiah 64:8

- David Baugh

Music: "I Will Not Bow"

Jesus Wants You To Know...

"Relax in My healing, holy Presence. Be still, while I transform your heart and mind. Let go of cares and worries, so that you can receive My Peace. Cease striving, and know that I am God. Do not be like Pharisees who multiplied regulations, creating their own form of 'godliness.' They got so wrapped up in their own rules that they lost sight of Me. Even today, man-made rules about how to live the Christian life enslave many people. Their focus is on their performance, rather than on Me." - "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young

Meme: Satan Targets Your Mind

Defeat Temptation

Every battle begins in the mind, and temptation is usually the first shot fired. When we are tempted, we can feel as if we are the only ones facing such an intense desire to do something we know is wrong. It can feel overwhelming and isolating.

But 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (NLT).

Temptation in this passage comes from a Greek word that means “a test, trial, or enticement to sin.” Temptation itself isn’t a sin, but it is a moment of choice - a crossroads of decision.

Temptation, while difficult, actually does a couple of positive things. First, it reveals what is hidden in our hearts. James points out that our temptations occur when we are drawn away by evil desires already in our hearts, temptations that will lead to sin if not dealt with (1:13-15). When you are tempted, use that as an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to help you see hidden wrong thoughts or desires you need to surrender.

Second, temptation provides an opportunity to strengthen our faith muscles by trusting God. Resisting temptation is a statement in the spiritual realm, a declaration that says, “I will obey God. I will trust him in all things.”

The process of resisting builds faith and perseverance. In the same way that lifting weights fatigues your muscles but also makes them stronger in the end, so your fight against temptation will strengthen your spiritual muscles so you can stand firm in the face of trials.

Temptation often feels overwhelming because of what is going on in the brain. During temptation, your brain releases dopamine, the neurotransmitter tied to anticipation and reward. This activates the limbic system, the emotional center of your brain, and can make the desire feel overwhelming and urgent. At the same time, your prefrontal cortex (the logical, decision-making part of your brain) is being overridden by the flood of emotion. Your body may even respond physically: your heart rate increases, muscles become tense, and you feel like you can focus on nothing else but the need to get what you want.

Sermon: "Green Light At The Red Sea"

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Be Strong And Courageous

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.” These words were spoken to Joshua at a moment of overwhelming responsibility. Moses was gone, the wilderness years were ending, and the Promised Land stood ahead, along with battles, uncertainty, and challenges far greater than Joshua could overcome in his own strength.

Notice God didn't tell Joshua to be strong because the path would be easy. He commanded courage because His presence would go with him.

Biblical courage isn't the absence of fear, but obedience in the presence of fear. It's choosing to trust God when the future is unclear, circumstances are overwhelming, and your own strength feels insufficient.

The Lion of Judah still goes before His people today. He remains sovereign over every battle, every uncertainty, every closed door, and every impossible situation in your life. Whatever lies in front of you today, remember the rest of the verse: “Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Be strong and courageous.

- David Delfeld

Provided by "I Am With You Always"

Scripture: Psalm 73:25-26

Humility Cures Worldliness

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners;
and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep!
Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

James 4:7-10 (NKJV)

Although God and the Devil are at war, we don't have to wait until the end to see who will win. God has already defeated Satan (Revelation 12:10-12), and when Christ returns, the Devil and all he stands for will be eliminated forever (Revelation 20:10-15). Satan is here now, however, and he is trying to win us over to his evil cause. With the Holy Spirit's power, we can resist the Devil, and he will flee from us.

~

Can you imagine Michael Jordan coming back to the bench talking about, “I could score a whole lot easier if I didn't have that other guy putting his hands up in my face all the time”?

Michael's coach would tell him, “Michael, if there were no opponent, it would be easy to score. We're paying you millions to score with that guy in your face.”

As Christians, we have an opponent in our face too. Whenever you decide to do something significant for God, Satan will show up, usually in the person of people like Sanballat and Tobiah (reference Nehemiah 2). Not everyone wants their culture transformed by the influence of godly people. It displeased these men that Nehemiah had come to seek the welfare of Israel. They took it upon themselves to stop him. See, Satan's job is to keep God's people from carrying out God's will.

By the way, this isn't just true for the big projects such as rebuilding a community. Satan's job is to destroy you and your family because he knows Christian families populated by committed Christians are the foundation to transforming society. So he spends day and night plotting your demise. Just like we have angels assigned to us, Satan has demons with our names and addresses on their “to do” lists.

That is why the Bible says, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12). Do we need to fear Satan and his demons? No, not at all. We need to resist and overcome them in the power of Christ.

Nehemiah wasn't afraid of his adversaries, but neither did he take them lightly. For the rest of his rebuilding project and well beyond it, he kept a close eye on those characters.

But too many of us are like puppets on a string to Satan. All he has to do is yank our string a little, and we go where he tells us to go and get mad when he tells us to get mad. Once you understand what Satan is up to, you will get down on your knees and say, “Not today, Satan. Not me, not my marriage, not my family, not my community - because we are submitting ourselves to God.”

Stand firm for God and against Satan, and the Sanballats and Tobiahs of this world will melt like snowmen in summer.

Excerpts from: "Life Application Study Bible" by Tyndale House Publishers and "Time to Get Serious" by Tony Evans