"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." — Romans 15:7
 
Have you ever felt like you couldn't measure up?
 
Early on when I became pastor of this church, my wife started taking a turn physically. I remember going to a deacons meeting because I had a presupposition that every time the doors opened on Sunday morning, the pastor's wife needed to be seen seated next to the pastor.
 
I said, "Guys, I've gotta tell you—my wife is struggling physically. We're praying God will heal her, but if He chooses to withhold that healing, we're going to walk with Him regardless. But if your mentality is that you need a pastor and his wife visible all the time, then maybe I'm not your guy. I am committed to her before I'm committed to you."
 
It was quiet.
 
Then one of the men spoke up and said, "Pastor, we didn't call your wife to be the pastor. We called you to be the pastor. We're glad that you're the pastor."
 
That took weight off my shoulders, and I began to realize I was pastoring a church of grace.
 
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Colossians 3:12).
 
The church isn't supposed to be a place of impossible expectations. It's supposed to be a community of grace—people who understand that life is messy, circumstances are complicated, and none of us have it all together.
 
Are you extending that grace to others? Are you receiving it for yourself?
 
Find a church of grace. Be a church of grace.

I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. (Revelation 3:8)

One of the best takeaways we can learn from the church at Philadelphia in Revelation chapter 3 is that we must stay focused on Christ no matter what tough circumstances come our way.
This was a church that apparently endured opposition from the outside, but stayed focused on the Word; they did not deny the name of Jesus. The key to staying on target is staying in love with Christ.

There are several things that you need to keep staying in love with Jesus. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

1). Active prayer life - You need a prayer life. Don’t just pray when things are tough. You need to be praying all of the time. Be in conversation with God all of the time. That is important.

2). Study Word of God - You need Bible study. Just like the church at Philadelphia stayed in the Word, you need to stay in the Word. You need to be involved in a small group where you study the Word of God. In addition, you need to be studying the Word of God yourself.

3). Fellowship with other believers - You also need fellowship with other believers. I am very concerned about the future of Christianity in the days to come. We have had a year of separation from other believers. You could study the Word of God on your own, and that's great. You can have a prayer life and that's wonderful, but you need fellowship with other believers. You need it for accountability, encouragement, connection and partnership for service.

4). Service – Be involved in ministry - You also need to be involved in ministry. God does not just want you to talk to Him and study His Word. He wants you to be involved in service. He wants you to be doing things for the Kingdom of God. Many Christians just get saved, stay seated, and turn sour. You can avoid turning sour by being involved in ministry.

5). Share your faith - There is another thing you need to stay in love with Jesus, and that is to share your faith. Have you ever thought that service and doing things in ministry gives you the opportunity to share your faith? It provides a great platform for you to stand and deliver and tell people the hope that is for them in Christ.

As believers, many of us think that the key to Christian maturity is just showing up. There is much more to it than that. The progression in our Christian life needs to be through prayer, Bible study, fellowship with other believers, service, and sharing your faith. In those situations, in the lives of those kinds of people and those kinds of churches, God opens doors to accomplish what He wants to accomplish through them.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I've mentioned before some reasons to be baptized. Today, there are some more reasons I want us to discuss and think about as we gain a better understanding of what baptism is, what it means, and what it signifies.

Baptism is to show that you are committed to Christ. When someone is baptized, it says, “I am committed publicly to Jesus. I am committed publicly to you who are part of the body of Christ. I am committed to living in righteousness.” It’s one thing to make that commitment privately, but when you make a public commitment there’s much more accountability that comes along with it, which is exactly what the Lord wants for us.

Next, baptism is to show that your past is over and you are dead in Christ. It is a humbling experience to allow someone to put you under the water publicly in front of other people and bring you up out of the water. When you do this you are saying publicly, “My past is over. I am dead and buried with Christ. I am resurrected with Him. My past is over”

Scripture tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Baptism is a visual representation of this verse. As you go under the water, who you were before Christ goes down with you, and when you are “resurrected” out of the water, it’s a picture of the fact that your sins have been cleansed and you are a new creation in Christ. What an amazing picture!

If you are a follower of Jesus but you’ve never been baptized, I pray that you would make the decision to be baptized today. Not only will you honor the Lord with your obedience, but you will also show all who observe the decision you’ve made to follow Christ and be a living representation of what it looks like to live a life fully surrendered to Him.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. – Acts 2:42

Our country has been spiritually bankrupt for quite some time. We are constantly searching for ways to fill the God-shaped hole in our hearts, but we always seem to come up empty. What we really need is a spiritual awakening. But no great awakening just happens on its own or by chance. God uses people and their faithfulness to Him to kick-start great awakenings. So today and tomorrow, I want us to look at a couple of specific things that need to happen if we want to experience a great awakening.

Great awakenings always begin in private devotions. They begin in personal quiet times and worship. When God decides to move upon a generation, He first starts a movement in the heart of an individual. Don't wait for the church to give you revival. It first must happen inside your heart when you cry out, “Oh God, do something in my life. Do something in my church. Do something in my city. Do something in our country. Do something that can only be explained by Your Hand upon it.” That's when an awakening can be birthed. Let me give you a couple of examples of what this looks like.

Evangelist Gipsy Smith was an evangelist of yesteryear. He was once asked how to start a revival. He said it like this, “Go home, lock yourself in your room, kneel down in the middle of your floor, draw a chalk mark all around yourself, and ask God to start the revival inside that chalk mark. When he has answered your prayer, the revival will be started.”

Additionally, D. L. Moody once said, “The world has never seen one man, totally and completely sold out for God, and I will be that man!” Even though Moody had only an eighth-grade education, the Spirit of God fell upon him, and he touched two continents for the Kingdom of God. During his lifetime, he watched so many powerful movements of God. He saw God doing things that could only be explained by God's Spirit because he was willing to start seeking God privately and personally before he expected God to move publicly.

If we want to see an awakening take place, it starts with each of us. It starts with our personal time we spend with Jesus each day. Don’t neglect to spend this precious time with your Heavenly Father. Make your time with Him a priority. You never know how could multiply it.

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. – Matthew 28:20

When you serve Christ, you are never alone. Jesus is standing with you. Isn’t that comforting? Isn’t that a great reason and reminder for why we should be totally devoted to Christ? I believe so! But I also believe that sometimes that’s easier said than done, especially when we’re going through a tough and lonely season.

Maybe you are going through dark times right now, and you feel very much alone. Maybe you are alone because of decisions that you have made, or maybe because of decisions someone else has made. Maybe you feel alone because you are walking through a very dark time physically, financially, or relationally.

But trust me, friend. You are not alone, because Jesus is standing with you. Make sure you stand with Him. Be totally devoted to Him. Follow His agenda, not your will, but His will. You will never sense the presence of God standing with you if you are living for your plan and what you want. This is especially true when it contradicts the Word of God.

Many believers want to claim God’s presence; however, they don't feel His presence because they are living out of fellowship with God. Real worship happens when you give everything. That means being aligned with the Word of God. You must be obedient with all your life, all your time, and all your resources. Don’t hold anything back from Jesus.

Is that true for you? Are you aligned with that kind of obedience? If not, I encourage you not to play church. Don’t think you can sing the songs without backing them up with your life. Don’t think that just because you look like a “good Christian” on the outside, everything is just as good on the inside. Our lives are to honor the Lamb! Our goal should be to surrender our hearts to Jesus. May you live in that surrender today!

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. – John 20:17-18

I want you to pay close attention to what Jesus says in today’s key verses. He tells Mary Magdalene, “I am returning to my father and your father, to my God and your God.”

Do you know what He was saying here? “You are part of a new family now because of the cross.” This is God's family. You weren't born into this world in God's family. We were born with our backs toward God, wanting to do what we wanted. But when we surrender our lives to Christ, we are born again into God's family. When we actually turn from sin and place our faith in Christ, God then becomes our God and God becomes our Father.

The Bible tells us very clearly that a Holy God cannot have a relationship with an unholy man, woman, boy, or girl. Just because you show up doesn't mean you get the prize. Just because you stand in line doesn't mean that you have actually accepted the gift of God, eternal life through Jesus Christ. You have to fully surrender your life to the Lord, acknowledge you are a sinner in need of a Savior, and choose to follow Him for the rest of your life.

Has there been a moment in your life when you turned from sin and placed your faith in Christ? I pray there has been. If not, today could be the day. And what a time to give your life to Christ – on Easter Sunday!

God wants you to be in His family. The way that you are adopted into His family is that you allow Him to adopt you. That means you throw your hands up and say, “Lord, I don't bring anything to you except my sin.” That’s all you need to bring. When you lay that at the cross of Christ and you receive what Jesus did for you, the shedding of His perfect, innocent blood to cover over and take away all of your sins, both past, present, and future, in that moment, you become part of the family of God. Has that happened to you yet? I pray that would happen to you today.

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:15-16

When Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter gave a personal answer. When he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” he was saying it very personally. He was saying, “As far as I'm concerned, regardless of what any of these other people think, you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

We need to realize that the same confrontation that Jesus had with Simon Peter and the disciples is the same kind of confrontation that we will have to deal with, as well. We must give a personal answer for who we think Jesus is. We cannot give an answer for our spouse, our children, our brother, our sister, or any one of our relatives. We can't speak for our family when it comes to a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a very personal answer that we must give.

In our denomination, we have a doctrinal principle we believe that’s called the “priesthood of the believer.” In essence, it means that your relationship with God is between you and Him. Jesus is the only mediator to give you a relationship with the Father.

For you to have fellowship with the Father, you must come to Christ; you are personally responsible for your own relationship with Jesus. You don't ask a pastor to say a good word for you so that God will hear you. You don't go to a priest so that the priest will give you access to God the Father. You are responsible for your own spiritual connection with the Father through Jesus Christ.

Simon Peter was saying, personally, “As far as I'm concerned, I have no question or doubt that you are the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” It was a very personal answer, and I hope and pray that when you are asked to give a personal answer, you have one that you are confident in based on your personal relationship with Jesus.

"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." — Jeremiah 29:11

Why would anyone not want to be in God's will?

Think about what being in God's will offers: He wants you to have utmost peace. He wants you to experience utmost protection. He wants you to experience His provision in your life. He wants you to line up with His purpose in your life. He wants you to persevere through whatever you are walking through.

Peace. Protection. Provision. Purpose. Perseverance.

Why would someone run from that?

And yet people do. Not everyone wants to be in the will of God. There are several reasons:

Some don't want any spiritual influence in their life. They want to call their own shots without anyone—including God—having a say.

Some have already decided what they want God to do. They've made up their mind, and they don't want to be confused by what God might actually want.

Some can't see any difference between being in God's will or outside of it. There's no spiritual sensitivity. They're just existing instead of making a difference.

Some have decided their values are different. They'll serve God as long as He gives them what they want. Nothing could be more upside down.

Which one describes you?

If you're running from God's will, ask yourself why. What are you protecting? What are you afraid of losing? What do you think you know better than He does?

His plans are to prosper you, not harm you. His will is the safest place you could ever stand.

Stop running. Start trusting. His will is better than yours.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." — Proverbs 3:5-6

Are you waiting on the sidelines?

Many people would love to learn how to swim. They've said, "I want to learn," but they're afraid of the water. Here's the problem: Unless you get in the water, you will never learn to swim.

You can read books about swimming. You can watch videos about proper technique. You can talk to Olympic swimmers about their training methods. But until you get wet, you'll never actually swim.

The same is true with God's will.

You can attend conferences about finding God's direction. You can read every book on discerning His voice. You can ask everyone you know what they think you should do. But at some point, you have to step out.

Learning to ride a bike is the same way. Unless you get on the bike, you will never learn. Yes, you might fall. Yes, you might skin your knee. But staying off the bike guarantees you'll never ride.

Faith requires action. Finding God's will requires movement.

"Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17).

Maybe God has already shown you the next step, but you're standing on the edge of the pool, afraid to jump in. Maybe He's pointed you toward something, but you're waiting for more certainty before you move.

Here's the truth: Certainty often comes after the step, not before it.

Get in the water. Throw your leg over the saddle. Get on the bike.

You can't steer a parked car. You can't learn from the sidelines. Engage. Move. Trust.

God will direct you once you start moving.

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it." — 1 Timothy 6:6-7

Do you know the difference between what you need and what you want?

Many of us think our wants are synonymous with our needs. It is not true. We are kept from being able to give because we are upside down financially. We put money into the wrong things. We pick up stuff we don't need.

That is why garage sales have become so popular. We buy someone else's junk to add to our junk. Have you noticed that storage facilities are cropping up everywhere? They are full. We think our kids might want our junk. They don't want it! They are focused on getting their own junk.

One of my best friends in my second pastorate was a car dealer. He inherited the dealership from his father. We were discussing things and he said, "The only way you will ever get your money out of a vehicle is to drive it as long as you can until the wheels fall off, pull it off to the side of the road, shoot it, and walk away."

He said, "I never say that publicly. The company line is that you need a brand-new car every two years."

We are not good stewards because we don't wait on God. Because we have available credit, we use more than we should. We just go ahead and do things without asking God to give us peace, direction, and confirmation. It puts us in places where we don't want to be.

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have" (Hebrews 13:5).

Contentment isn't having everything you want. It's realizing you already have everything you need.

Before your next purchase, ask yourself: Is this a need or a want? And have I asked God about it?

The answer might just free up more margin for generosity.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." — Matthew 7:7

Have you given up too soon?

What does Jesus have to say about finding God's will? He said, "Ask, Seek, and Knock." But here's what you might not know: From the Koine Greek—the language of the New Testament—it actually says, "Keep on asking. Keep on seeking. Keep on knocking."

It's continuous action. Not a one-time request. Not a single attempt. Persistent, ongoing pursuit.

God will show you what He has for your life if you keep on keeping on and trust Him to speak to your heart and life. Many of us are hindered because we don't keep on keeping on.

And what keeps us from keeping on? Fear.

Fear of rejection. Fear of failure. Fear of the unknown. Fear of what God might actually say.

Many people would love to swim but they're afraid of the water. Unless you get in the water, you will never learn to swim. Many people would love to ride a horse, but unless you're willing to put a foot in the stirrup and throw your leg over the saddle and grab the reins, you will never learn.

Some people say, "I would love to have a date," but they've never asked someone because they're afraid of being rejected.

You might have some "crash and burn" experiences. But if you want to know the will of God—where there is great peace, protection, and purpose—you must engage.

Don't give up after the first ask. Don't quit after the first search. Don't walk away after the first knock.

Keep on keeping on. God rewards persistence.

"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground." — Psalm 143:10

What do you do when you're not sure?

Many of us get paralyzed when we can't see the full picture. We wait for absolute certainty before we move. We want a guarantee before we commit. We hesitate, analyze, second-guess—and end up standing still.

Here's a principle that might free you: When in doubt, say yes.

Not yes to everything. Not yes to sin. Not yes to foolishness. But when you sense God might be leading you somewhere—when there's an opportunity to serve, to give, to step out in faith—and you're not 100% certain, lean toward yes.

Why? Because God honors faith. He rewards those who step out trusting Him.

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrews 11:6).

Too many of us default to no. No, I'm not qualified. No, the timing isn't right. No, I need more information. No, someone else should do it. We think we're being cautious. Really, we're being faithless.

The disciples didn't have all the answers when Jesus said, "Follow me." They just said yes.

Abraham didn't know where he was going when God called him to leave. He just said yes.

Mary didn't understand how she would carry the Messiah. She just said yes.

When you are in the flow of the Spirit, when you're walking with God and seeking His face, your yes is safe. He'll redirect you if you get off course. He'll close doors that need closing.

But He can't steer a parked car.

When in doubt, say yes. That is when you will be in the center of the will of God. And that will give you peace.

Stop waiting for certainty. Start walking in faith.

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." — James 1:22

What are you waiting for?

When God reveals the next step, take it immediately. Whatever He has told you to do, do it! Do it quickly. This is very important. Obedience is critical in our lives.

There is an old hymn that we used to sing: "Trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but trust and obey."

That is what the next steps are about—trusting God and obeying God.

Many of us hear from God clearly. We know exactly what He's asking us to do. But we delay. We procrastinate. We wait for a "better time." We tell ourselves we'll get around to it eventually.

Eventually rarely comes.

Paul followed God's call and went where God called him. God gave him a Macedonian call and Paul went with the flow. The next step was exciting. He didn't form a committee. He didn't wait six months to pray about it. He acted.

Delayed obedience is disobedience. When God speaks and you don't respond, you're not being cautious—you're being rebellious.

Maybe God has told you to forgive someone. Don't wait. Maybe He's prompted you to give generously. Don't delay. Maybe He's calling you to serve in a specific ministry. Stop putting it off. Maybe He's asking you to have a hard conversation. Do it today.

"Anyone, then, who knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them" (James 4:17).

The longer you wait, the harder it becomes. The voice gets quieter. The conviction fades. The opportunity passes.

If He has spoken to you and revealed the next steps, do it immediately!

I don't know what God has for you in the days to come, but He does. And if He's already shown you the next step, what are you waiting for?

Trust. Obey. Now.

"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." — Psalm 37:4

Where does God reveal your next step?

The next step will be revealed in His Word and in your heart. Listen to one of my favorite Psalms: "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

God will never lead you to do something that contradicts His Word. Where is the first place that God will speak to you? It will be in your heart. He puts it in the location of your desires. He puts it in the easiest place and the first place where you would look.

But here's the critical balance: Don't trust your heart unless it aligns with the Word of God.

Some people only follow their heart. "I feel led to do this." "I sense God wants me to go there." "My heart tells me this is right." But feelings can deceive. Emotions fluctuate. Hearts can be swayed by what we want rather than what God wants.

Other people only follow the Word. They know Scripture backward and forward, but they've never learned to sense God's leading in their spirit. They have knowledge without relationship. Information without intimacy.

God uses both.

He speaks through His Word—the unchanging, authoritative standard that never shifts with culture or emotion. And He speaks through your heart—the inner prompting of His Spirit guiding your desires and direction.

When both align, you can move forward with confidence. When your heart's desire matches what Scripture teaches, you've found your direction. When what you sense inside confirms what God has revealed in His Word, take the step.

But when they conflict? Always go with the Word. Your heart can mislead you. God's Word never will.

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path" (Psalm 119:105).

Seek direction in both places. But let the Word be the final authority. Heart and Word together—that's how God guides.

"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others." — Matthew 6:2

Here's a question worth asking yourself: Would you still be a giver if you couldn't write it off on your taxes?

Think about that for a moment. If there was no deduction, no receipt, no record that benefited you in any way—would you still give?

God wants you to be a giver even when you don't get credit for it. Do you practice giving to others who are in need? Not giving that gets announced. Not giving that gets applauded. Not giving that gets your name on a plaque or a building or a program.

Secret giving. Anonymous giving. Giving that only God sees.

Jesus said, "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matthew 6:3-4).

There is a reward, a blessing that God gives to those who give. But here's the tension we wrestle with—we want people to know we are generous. We want recognition. We want credit.

With many institutions today, their fundraising depends upon placing large givers' names in prominent places to say thank you. That is how institutions do it. But Jesus is saying we need to learn how to honor God in secret.

The true test of your generosity isn't what you give when everyone's watching. It's what you give when no one will ever know.

Can you slip money to someone in need without telling a soul? Can you pay for a stranger's meal and leave before they find out? Can you give generously and never mention it—not even to your spouse?

That's the giving that reveals your heart. That's the giving God rewards.

Would you still give if no one ever knew? Your answer reveals everything.

"The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you." — Deuteronomy 28:11

Have you noticed how God operates?

Great generosity is God's style. God wants us to be great givers. Do you know why? Because that emulates Him. Just think about it. Everything God does, He does a lot of. He doesn't do just enough to get by. He does a whole lot more.

Did God create just one star? No, He created millions and millions of stars in galaxies farther than we can see. Why? Because when God does something, He does it big. He does it large.

Look at the variety of flowers. The diversity of animals. The complexity of the human body. The expanse of the oceans. God doesn't operate on a bare minimum budget.

"Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given" (John 1:16).

Just think about how God has blessed you. God has blessed me more in every area of my life than I could ever imagine. He's done the same thing for you.

My wife's favorite verse captures this: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20).

God can do more than you ask. God can do more than anything you can dream about. Isn't that great generosity?

That is His character and His nature. He wants you to get in on that flow. He doesn't just want us to practice the gift of receiving. He wants us to practice the gift of giving, too.

Generosity isn't something God does occasionally. It's who He is. And He wants it to be who you are.

"Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits." — Psalm 103:2

What are you focusing on?

We often have a negative attitude when it comes to giving. We might say, "Even though God has impressed on me to give, I won't have anything left." Where do you think all the resources God has given you came from? They did not come from you.

We need to focus on God's gifts, not reasons to withhold.

Listen to David's words: "Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Psalm 103:1-5).

Focus on what God has done for you. This should be the mentality in our lives. If you focus on how God has blessed you, you will loosen the grip on your resources.

He forgave your sins—every single one. He redeemed your life from the pit. He crowned you with love and compassion. He satisfies your desires with good things.

When you rehearse His benefits, your fist unclenches. When you remember His generosity, yours increases. When you focus on what He's done, withholding feels ridiculous.

The ability to earn wealth comes from God, not from you. He opens the doors. He blesses the work of your hands. He gave you the skills you have.

Stop focusing on reasons to hold back. Start focusing on everything He's given. Gratitude is the gateway to generosity.

"Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds." — Proverbs 27:23

Do you know where you actually stand financially?

Here's a tough pill to swallow: Great generosity is hindered by excessive debt. God wants us to leave margins in our lives and not spend everything that He has blessed us with. He wants us to honor Him with the first fruits of His blessing.

Many of us wrestle with the issue of giving because we have spent it all. We have already out-kicked our coverage, and we have no margins left. Our response is, "God needs to bless me with more money." But we have not been faithful with what He has already given us.

Some people say, "As long as I have a line of credit, it is there for me to use." But if you use all of your line of credit, when you had the ability before to be generous, it thwarts your generosity. When there is no margin left, you will be hindered in being generous.

Some people will say, "I still have blank checks left." Just because you have a battery of checks at your disposal doesn't mean you have the funds to cover those checks.

When I was growing up in Texas, there was a farm radio show hosted by Dewey Compton. Dewey had this great saying: "If your outgo exceeds your income, then your upkeep will be your downfall."

God wants you to be generous. But generosity requires margin. You can't give what you've already spent.

Know your condition. Analyze where you are. Formulate a plan to create space in your finances. Put God first in your giving, not last.

Margins matter. Create some room so you have something to give.

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." — Ephesians 2:10

Do you think attendance counts as ministry?

Maybe you have done all those things—given your life to Christ, been baptized, studied the Word, connected with believers—but you are not involved in ministry. You might think your ministry is a ministry of "attendance."

I cannot find that in Scripture.

If you are just showing up at church, that is not ministry. God has things for you to do.

This might sting a little. Many people think that being present is the same as being faithful. They think filling a seat equals serving the King. They think watching others minister is the same as ministering themselves.

It's not.

God didn't save you just to sit. He saved you to serve. He didn't rescue you just to spectate. He rescued you to participate. He didn't gift you just to observe. He gifted you to contribute.

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms" (1 Peter 4:10).

You have a gift. You have a calling. You have a place in the body of Christ that no one else can fill. When you don't serve, something is missing. Someone is not being reached. Some need is not being met.

If He has shown you what to do, do it! Do it well.

Stop thinking that warming a pew is the same as fulfilling your purpose. Stop believing that attendance equals obedience.

God has work for you to do. Ministry with your name on it. Get off the sidelines and get in the game.

Showing up is a start. But it's not the finish. Ministry awaits.

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" — Jeremiah 17:9

Why do you struggle with giving?

If you are struggling with giving, it is not a financial issue. It is a heart issue. If you are not a generous giver, it is not that you don't have enough money in the bank. It is because you have a heart that is messed up.

That's hard to hear, isn't it? We want to blame our circumstances. We want to point to our bills, our debt, our limited income. We want to say, "When I have more, I'll give more."

But people with very little give generously every day. And people with plenty give nothing. The difference isn't in the bank account. It's in the heart.

"I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve" (Jeremiah 17:10).

God sees past your excuses. He knows whether your struggle is genuinely financial or conveniently heart-related.

A generous heart finds ways to give. A stingy heart finds reasons to withhold.

A generous heart sees needs everywhere. A stingy heart sees only its own.

A generous heart trusts God with the outcome. A stingy heart trusts only what it can control.

God wants you to be men and women who are givers. When that happens in your life, your heart will line up with Him. When your heart aligns with Him, He will show you what to give.

Stop blaming your budget. Start examining your heart. That's where the real issue lives.

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." — James 4:10

Let me ask you a question.

If you have multiple kids and you have one child who feels entitled to everything you would give them, and you have another child who is humble, appreciative, and overwhelmed with what you give—which one do you want to bless?

Would you choose to bless the entitled child, or the one who lives with humility?

You know the answer. It doesn't take a lot of common sense.

Some of us approach God like entitled children. We expect His blessing. We demand His provision. We assume we deserve His favor. And when it comes, we barely acknowledge it before asking for more.

Others approach God with open hands and grateful hearts. Every blessing surprises them. Every provision moves them. Every gift overwhelms them with thankfulness.

Which child are you?

God wants us to be men and women who give like Him and show grace. That is what grace is—God gives you what you do not deserve. Mercy is when God has not given you what you do deserve.

The entitled heart says, "I earned this. I deserve this. Give me more."

The humble heart says, "I don't deserve any of this. Thank You. How can I share it?"

"God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5).

It's not that God loves one child more than the other. But posture matters. Gratitude positions us to receive more. Entitlement closes the hand that should be open.

Check your heart today. Are you the entitled child or the humble one? The answer will shape everything about how you give and receive.

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." — Psalm 27:14

What do you do when God seems silent?

When Jesus left, He told His disciples, "Wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit comes." They had no idea what that would mean. They did not understand the full implications of that, but they were told to wait.

Waiting is not passive. It takes commitment and discipline to wait.

Many of us think waiting means doing nothing. We sit around frustrated, anxious, wondering why God isn't moving faster. But Biblical waiting is active, not passive.

When you don't know the next step, you can do the five "W's":

Wait — Not anxiously, but expectantly. Trust that God's timing is perfect.

Worship — Worship takes your eyes off yourself and puts your mind where it needs to be—on the Lord Jesus. Worship more than once a week. Worship all the time.

Word — Stay in the Word of God. If you are looking for a GPS coordinate in your life, you will find it in the Word of God. Sometimes God doesn't show us the next step because He wants us to discover what He has in His Word first.

Work — Do what He has shown you and given you to do until the next step. Be busy doing the Lord's work. "Work as unto the Lord!"

Witness — Share your faith. Have you ever thought that the reason God hasn't moved you more quickly to the next step is that He wants to connect you with someone?

God uses the waiting seasons. Don't waste them by sitting idle. Fill them with worship, Word, work, and witness.

Active waiting prepares you for the next step. Passive waiting just makes you frustrated.
Wait well.

"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." — Ephesians 1:11

How much of your life do you spend worrying?

I love Christian comedians. Mike Goodwin tells about wisdom his grandmother imparted to him. She said, "Son, there are only two things you need to be concerned about. Whether you are healthy or sick. If you are healthy, you have nothing to worry about..." And the logic goes on through getting better or worse, living or dying, heaven or hell—until the punchline.

But here's the real wisdom: There are only two things you need to concern yourself with. Number one is whether you are in God's will right now. Number two is whether you are not in God's will.

If you are in the will of God right now, you don't have anything to worry about.

Think about that. Not "fewer things to worry about." Not "less intense worries." Nothing. Because when you're aligned with the One who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, what's left to fear?

He's handling your future. He's directing your steps. He's working all things together for good.

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

The question isn't whether God has a plan. He does. The question is whether you're in it.

If you're not in His will right now, that's where your concern should be—not on a hundred other worries, but on getting aligned with Him.

Find His will. Stay in His will. And watch your worries lose their power.

Being in the center of God's will is the most secure place you can stand. Nothing to worry about.

"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." — Acts 4:13

What happened to the disciples?

These appearances were intended to prove His physical resurrection. After the resurrection, the disciples moved from being cowards to being courageous warriors.
Think about that transformation. Before the resurrection, Peter denied Jesus three times to a servant girl. The disciples hid behind locked doors, terrified the authorities would come for them next. They scattered when Jesus was arrested. They abandoned Him at His darkest hour.

Cowards. Every one of them.

But after they saw the risen Christ? Everything changed.

Peter preached boldly at Pentecost and three thousand people came to faith. John stood before the religious authorities without flinching. Stephen looked into heaven as stones crushed his body and said, "I see the Son of God standing at the right hand of the Father." Paul traveled the known world proclaiming Christ despite beatings, shipwrecks, and imprisonment.

Warriors. Every one of them.

What made the difference? They encountered the risen Jesus.

An encounter with Christ changes everything. It transforms fear into boldness. It turns hiding into proclaiming. It converts running away into running toward.

Maybe you feel like a coward right now. You're afraid to speak up about your faith. You're intimidated by what others might think. You hide your beliefs behind locked doors.

You need a fresh encounter with the risen Christ.

When you truly grasp that Jesus is alive—that He conquered death, that He holds all authority, that He is with you always—fear loses its grip. What can man do to you when the resurrected King stands beside you?

The same Jesus who transformed fishermen into world-changers wants to transform you. The same power that raised Him from the dead is available to you.

Stop hiding. Start proclaiming. You've been with Jesus. Let people take note.

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." — Ephesians 5:18

What's controlling you?

This passage might surprise you. Paul doesn't just say "don't drink." He says don't be drunk—don't be controlled by a substance—and instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Here's the principle: You are either in the flow of the Spirit or in the flow of the flesh. Something is always influencing you. The question is what.

People who are inebriated will do things, say things, and act in ways they normally wouldn't act when they're sober. Why? Because a substance is controlling them.

As believers, when we are in the flow of the Spirit of God, we will say things, do things, and act in ways that align with the flow of the Spirit. We'll have courage we don't naturally possess. We'll have peace that doesn't make sense. We'll have love for people we'd normally avoid.

God does not want you to be controlled by anything or anyone other than His Spirit.
For many people, substances are pain management. They drink because they don't want to feel their pain. I get it. Life hurts. But numbing the pain doesn't heal it.

The Spirit offers something better than numbness. He offers transformation. He offers comfort that actually comforts. He offers strength to face what you've been running from.

"The Spirit helps us in our weakness" (Romans 8:26).

What's controlling you today? What are you turning to when life gets hard? Is it a substance? A habit? A distraction?

Trade it for the Spirit. Get in His flow. Let Him be the influence that shapes your words, your actions, your responses.

When you're filled with the Spirit, you won't need a substitute.