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The blog contains daily devotions and notes from the weekly messages. We encourage you to review the notes during the sermon or through the week! Most of the posts will have an audio and/or video link at the end of the notes. From time to time the pastors will share other insights and devotions here.
Note:
We realize it isn’t easy to always find what you are looking for, so we are in the process of organizing these blogs. Click HERE to go to an index of blogs that reference our YouTube channel in order to get you where you need to go…
To find a particular book and chapter, use the magnifying glass in the upper right hand corner of this page. Type the name of the book and the chapter. It should appear as one of your choices. (ex: John 2)
26
Dec '20
Christmas Hymn: Away in a Manger
26
Dec '20
Seize the Moment – Day 284
Today’s Christmas Hymn: Away in a Manger
“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’” (ESV)
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’” (ESV)
“Away In A Manger” is one of the most popular Christmas carols and yet, its history has been obscured behind false information for a long time. James Murray published the song in 1887, making reference to the words and melody as being inspired by Martin Luther in a lullaby that he sang to his family. It’s rise to fame was not based upon that connection, but rather the melody that was easy to sing and the words that brought peace and comfort to those who sang them.
Reflecting the simple beginnings of our Lord’s arrival to earth and being born in a stable, this song paints the picture for us to see as you sing…
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus, laid down His sweet head, the stars in the sky look down where He lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
While the song contains a prayer asking Jesus to stay close by, we need to remember that He promised to never leave us nor forsake us. We need to wake up and hold on to that promise, realizing that, while it is a pretty Christmas carol, the theology of the third verse is not totally accurate. Remember, if you ever have any doubt, go to God’s Word and check it out!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Ken reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
If you would like to read the words to this hymn or hear the melody played, click on this link:
1
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
2
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
but little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
and stay by my side until morning is nigh.
but little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
and stay by my side until morning is nigh.
3
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay
close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
and fit us for heaven to live with thee there.
close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
and fit us for heaven to live with thee there.
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24
Dec '20
1 Timothy 4
24
Dec '20
Seize the Moment – Day 282
Train Yourself for Godliness!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, December 24.
It’s Christmas Eve! Join us tonight for our 6:30 pm Christmas Eve Service. You don’t want to miss this beautiful time of worship. May you have a wonderful day, today, the eve of our celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ!
Have you ever met someone who lives in the past—a person who feels that the best is behind them and doesn’t have hope for the future?
Paul teaches us in 1 Timothy 4:7b-10, “Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”
I can testify to you that physical training does have a season of glory, whether that season ends in high school, college, in the Olympics or professional sports, but there is a day where even the most celebrated athlete’s career must come to an end. And as the sun sets on any athletic season, what do those athletes have left? Who are they apart from their accomplishments and accolades?
Here is the good news: When we train ourselves in godliness, the best is always yet to come! The glory days are never behind us, but always before us! When you train yourself according to the Word of God, the living God sets before you a future that has the truest and highest honor of being welcomed into the Victor’s Circle of Heaven (1 Corinthians 9:25).
Seize the moment and train yourself in godliness. This way, you’ll always have your best days ahead of you…
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
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23
Dec '20
1 Timothy 3
23
Dec '20
Seize the Moment – Day 281
The Mystery of Godliness!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday,
Have you ever noticed Paul’s beautiful doxology, or song of praise, at the end of 1 Timothy 3?
Listen to it in verse 16, “Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body; was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.”
This was an early creed of the New Testament Church—used to teach their faith and shape their communities.
The mystery of godliness is Jesus’ miraculous birth and perfect life, His sacrificial death and victorious resurrection, His triumphant ascension and imminent second coming. We are to proclaim this!
The mystery of godliness was made visible to us in the miracle of Christmas. It is revealed in the incarnation—that the God who is Spirit would dwell fully in human flesh as a baby.
God chose to reveal His majesty to us as one of us in a particular form and in a specific time and space. God became one of us, as a human baby and became completely dependent on His creatures for His care and well-being, for His survival…
God continues to trust us to fulfill His mission to preach the good news of His coming to the world so that all the nations can know what is the mystery of godliness.
Seize the moment and “Go tell it on the mountain / Over the hills and everywhere / Go tell it on the mountain / Our Jesus Christ is born.”
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
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22
Dec '20
1 Timothy 2
22
Dec '20
Seize the Moment – Day 280
Your Top Civic Responsibility!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, December 22.
What is your top civic responsibility as a Christian?
This passage was written by Paul at a time when the Roman government was far from favorable to him or the cause of the Christian Church. In fact, the authorities he is talking about in this passage have imprisoned him and would soon kill him for his faith. Understanding this should change the way we read this passage; the sacrificial love it calls us to as citizens of any nation.
Paul commands all of us in 1 Timothy 2:1-6, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”
Your top civic responsibility is to pray! And not just for the highest officials in the government, but also for those you are called to be civil with, like your neighbor or your coworker or the person sitting in across the pew from you. You are God’s person right here, right now!
This civic responsibility is a commanded way of life in the Bible; it is the way of having right relationships with other people, the truth of right interpretations of your circumstances, and the life of effectively expressing your faith in Jesus to the world.
Seize the moment and pray! God has strategically placed you in your community to pray and live a life of sacrificial love.
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
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21
Dec '20
1 Timothy 1
21
Dec '20
Seize the Moment – Day 279
The Power of Testimony!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, December 21.
This morning, I had the privilege of reviewing a 5-minute video testimony that one of our church members made for this coming Sunday’s service. Dee made this video to share God’s hope with all of us—to remind us that even when life and circumstances are hard, God is faithful and loving. I love it when people share their testimonies. It fills me with faith, hope, and love.
Listen to the Apostle Paul share his testimony in 1 Timothy 1:12-17,
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Did you see how Paul, when he finished his testimony, praised God! In remembering what God had done for him in the past, Paul was moved to thank God in the present. Paul’s testimony has been used by God to give so many people hope—that if God can love and forgive Paul, then, yes, God can love and forgive me too.
That is the power of testimony!
Seize the moment and share your testimony and give the gift of faith, hope, and love to another person.
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
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20
Dec '20
The Promises of Christmas (Week 4)
20
Dec '20
The 4th Sunday of Advent
“The Promise of Peace!”
Philippians 4:9, Isaiah 9:6 & Luke 2:8-14 (NAS95)
Let us start with the Christmas story as told by the angels to the shepherds in Luke 2:8-14,
In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
This morning, we will be learning together about this promised peace that the heavenly host praising God proclaimed to those first shepherds and then came to us through the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
The angles emphasized in their proclamation: “With whom He is pleased.” God makes the peace with us; we don’t make the peace with Him! Peace is not man-made; it is from God! It is a gift (all of grace!) that we can even have and experience peace with God because peace was sent to us in the person of Jesus Christ! This is why He came on that first Christmas and why He died on the Cross of Calvary.
As Paul says of Jesus in Ephesians 2:14,
“For He Himself is our peace.”
Jesus came as the One to fulfill God’s covenant promises to His people. As one scholar stated, “A major feature of the Gospel record is the way it draws the reader’s attention to the fact that Jesus Christ’s earthly life fulfilled a veritable plethora of Old Testament prophecies, some momentous, others seemingly minute.”[1]
One of those “veritable plethora of Old Testament prophecies” is Jesus’ birth found in Micah 5:2-5,
But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity. Therefore He will give them up until the time when she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren will return to the sons of Israel. And He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will remain, because at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth. This One will be our peace.
Jesus made the peace with God. Paul taught in Colossians 1:19-20,
“For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”
Jesus then gives us that peace so that we can experience our new relationship with God. Jesus promised in John 14:27,
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
Peace is not just a theological construct that speaks to the mystery of your justification by grace through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus has made peace between you and God so that you can, one day in some distant future, rest in peace. Heaven is a glorious truth that gives us hope, but if your only view of God’s peace is being in Heaven one day, then you have an insufficient view of God’s peace.
Peace is the living presence of His person in you—the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who is the 3rd Person of the Trinity, as witnessed to us by Jesus Himself in John 20:20-21,
“‘Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”
Paul built upon Jesus’ teaching of this experiential truth in Philippians 4:6-9,
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
God’s peace guards your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus and, listen closely, “the God of peace will be with you”: He establishes His government in you, which is the Kingdom of God. Listen to another one of those “veritable plethora of Old Testament prophecies” of Jesus’ birth, a very familiar one, found in Isaiah 9:6-7:
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
You have heard this prophecy every Christmas for years, but did you hear the connection of His government and peace. The Prince of Peace is the King of kings and the Lord of lords and there will be no end to His government or His peace. That’s a promise! It is His zeal that accomplishes this in and through us!
God grows peace in our lives because His peace in us and His government over us are defining characteristics of our new life in Christ as the adopted children of the King; the citizens of Heaven.
Paul emphasizes the rule of Messiah in the life of a Christian in Colossians 3:15,
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
Peace is a ruling reality of the government of God in your life and the more you submit to God’s sovereign rule over you, the more of His peace you will experience. Peace is a “fruit” of the indwelling Holy Spirit and we all know that fruit is only produced because the branch is connected to the life-giving source of all fruit. Abiding in the vine is submission to His government—it’s absolute dependence on Him!
Listen to Paul explain this to you in Galatians 5:18-25:
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Fruit is designed to grow, to mature, to ripen and that happens in three ways in the Christian life:
1. Peace grows as you learn to trust (put your faith in) God:
Paul promises in Romans 15:13,
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (NIV).
Proverbs 3:5-8 teaches us how to do this:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.”
2. Peace grows as you learn to love God’s Word:
Psalm 119:165 promises,
“Those who love Your law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble.”
Isaiah 48:18 promises,
“If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea” (NIV).
3. Peace grows as you learn to walk in the Spirit:
Isaiah 32:17 explains,
“And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.”
Paul teaches us in Romans 14:17,
“for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
We are to mature in Christ and that means that we are to not only have peace with God, but grow in God’s peace and the peace of God will be with us. Once again, we see that the promises of God come with a praxis—a way of experiencing the fulfillment of promise as a part of our everyday lives.
A leader in our church testified to me about peace: “The peace that comes from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit can possibly be identified as the ‘thing’ that sets followers of Christ apart. You often hear conversion stories where the new follower says they met someone who was just ‘different.’ I think it’s this ‘peace that passes understanding’ (Philippians 4:7) that sets us apart and makes us stand out as different from the world.”
We are to walk in the promises of Christmas so that our lives proclaim Jesus Christ, the reason for the season—the Immanuel, God with us!
Footnotes:
[1] M. S. Mills, The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record (Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries, 1999).
You can listen to the message here:
You can watch to the message HERE.
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19
Dec '20
Christmas Hymn: I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day
19
Dec '20
Seize the Moment – Day 277
Christmas Hymn: I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (ESV)
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (ESV)
Finding peace in a time of turmoil or tragedy is difficult for most of us. But Henry Wadsworth Longfellow did exactly that in his writing of the Christmas carol “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.”
He found himself widowed for a second time, raising five children and caring for his oldest son, Charley, who had been shot during a battle in the Civil War, and while he survived, he came home to recover, all during the Christmas season.
He was outside when he heard the Christmas bells ringing. The world as he knew it was tearing itself apart in civil war. It didn’t seem like there was much peace on earth or goodwill towards men. But he held strong to the promises of God’s hope, peace and goodwill.
“Then pealed the bells, more loud and deep: God is not dead,
nor doth He sleep; the Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail
with peace on earth, good will to men.”
Wake up and realize that it is not our current situations that determine the outcome, but rather how we hold on to the promises God has given us. What makes the baby in the manger so amazing is the fact that the cross and His death and resurrection were in the shadows of His future, yet He came to bring us the Light of His love, joy, grace and peace that could only come from God’s Son.
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Ken reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
If you would like to read the words to this hymn or hear the melody played, click on this link:
I heard the bells on Christmas day
1
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace of earth, good will to men.
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace of earth, good will to men.
2
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th’unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th’unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
3
And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
4
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”
5 Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
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18
Dec '20
2 Thessalonians 3
18
Dec '20
Seize the Moment – Day 276
Perseverance!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, December 18.
Do you have perseverance?
Paul prayed this for the followers of Jesus in 2 Thessalonians 3:5, “May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.” The NIV says it this way, “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”
What is perseverance?
Biblically, perseverance is endurance in spite of opposition. It’s both the condition of and the action of steadfastness. That is why Paul not only prays for this condition to be in the saints of God, but also then commands them in verse 13, “brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.”
Remember how Paul started his 2nd letter to the Thessalonians with these words from 1:3-4, “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.”
So, here is the key: perseverance is both a condition given to you by the faithfulness of God and it is also an action empowered unto you by the faithfulness of God.
Allow me to pray for over you Paul’s benediction in verse 16, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!” Amen.
Seize the moment and be thou at peace: The Lord will persevere in and through you. Rest in His easy yoke.
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
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17
Dec '20
2 Thessalonians 2
17
Dec '20
Seize the Moment – Day 275
Stand Firm in Difficult and Dark Days!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, December 17.
Do you need help in standing firm in difficult and dark days? Are the current events shaking your faith or distracting you from the hope we have in God’s promises?
Listen to Paul’s encouraging words from 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15,
But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
It is important to note that Paul gave these encouraging words after a very hard teaching on the end times in verses 1-12. Those twelve verses are sobering to all, and for many, they are confusing.
Please notice that the first word of verse 13, after such a difficult teaching, is “But”.
Paul transitions to encourage the believers: no matter what may be happening or will be happening in this world, you, beloved of God, stand firm in what God has done, is doing, and will do. Trust God, you, chosen of God, and stand firm in difficult and dark days!
Allow me to pray Paul’s prayer over you, from verses 16-17, “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” Amen.
Seize the moment and stand firm no matter how dark or difficult the day.
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
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16
Dec '20
2 Thessalonians 1
16
Dec '20
Seize the Moment – Day 274
Give Thanks and Pray for One Another!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, December 16.
What does it feel like to have someone in your corner: someone who believes in you and is thankful for you, someone who prays for you?
I think this is one of the major issues of Covid-19. We are struggling in our well-being because many of us are cut off from their normal social rhythms, like going to church. We are easy prey to the devil when we actively feed the feelings that we are alone, isolated, or unwanted.
There is a solution, friend.
Paul starts his second letter to the believers in Thessalonica with thanksgiving for them. Listen to 2 Thessalonians 1:3, “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.”
The solution is you being the church—Paul knows we are better together and it takes each of us growing in our faith for all of us to be healthy. When you pray and take the initiative to serve another, then you get blessed in return.
Are you feeling alone and unwanted? Rebuke that lie by calling someone and giving thanks for them today! Be a part of the solution by being a blessing today…
Allow me to pray Paul’s prayer over you from verses 11-12, “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Amen!
Seize the moment and be the Church you so desperately want your church to be. It takes all hands on deck!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
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