We know that God is all powerful. He created all things, from the magnitude of the universe, to the complexity of our bodies; he performed incredible powerful miracles like the great flood, the plagues in Egypt, and the parting of the Red Sea to the many miracles Jesus performed, like raising Lazarus from death, and casting out demons. We know from the story of Job that the devil is subject to God’s permission and authority. Who would question whether God could strike anyone on earth down at any time, or wipe out anything man could build with a single act of Nature. God’s Power is Awesome!

At the same time, 1 John 4:8 says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is Love.” God is love…the magnitude of this is also difficult for us to understand. The most compassion, care, empathy, sympathy, sacrifice, we can feel or express is just a drop compared to God’s love, because God is Love.

Together, how can we not submit ourselves to God’s will, knowing that by doing so, we are supported and protected by the ultimate power and cared for by the one who defines love.

Dear Lord, Let us take both comfort, and strength in knowing that You are Power and Love, and you love us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

There is a account written in John chapter 8 where a crowd was going to stone a woman for adultery, which was the law at that time. Jesus tells the crowd, “Let the one who has not sinned cast the first stone’ ” and the crowd of people all went away.

Jesus then told the woman in John 8:11 “Go and sin no more.”

There are many messages we can take away from this account, but the one I want to highlight is that at any point, we can make a change in our lives and start on a new path. “Your past doesn’t determine your future,” is a way I have heard it said.

I think that message is as relevant for someone living a “good” life as it is for someone who has a “troubled” life. We can all make a change in our lives, if we choose to; and when we do, God is always there to support us to change and follow his will. The most important change any of us can make is to accept the forgiveness and Salvation Jesus provides.

Dear Lord, thank you for the message you give us in this story that, no matter where we are in life, or what we have done in the past, we can change. Your forgiveness and Salvation is always waiting for us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

James writes in James 2:20 that, “Faith without works is dead.” This passage is often discussed as an argument to protestant perspectives that Grace alone through faith is all we need for Salvation. Fortunately, my message today is not to discuss this issue, but to look at this passage a little differently.

Tony Robbins, the popular personal development author, speaker, and coach says in his book. “Never leave the scene of a decision without taking a specific action toward it’s accomplishment.”

You might ask what these two things have in common.

Jesus says in Matthew 17:20, “if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Similar to the Tony Robbins perspective on decisions, having faith that God will take care of us, and answer our prayers, is great, but he expects us to take action that shows we expect he will do so. We could kind of think of it like a modified version of the Tony Robbins quote, “Never have Faith without taking action that demonstrates it.”

In every Christian’s success we see him/her putting his/her faith in God, then taking the step forward in that faith. Success happens when each takes that first step demonstrating their faith.

Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” Key word, “actions.”

Dear Lord, we believe in our hearts that you care and are there for us. Help us to show our belief by taking actions that rely on your involvement in our lives. in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I am a pilot, and one of the things pilots learn in training, and practice routinely, is handling emergencies. For instance, what do you do if the engine fails, what if there is a fire, what if the landing gear do not extend or retract, and so on. In training, we all learn that the first thing to do in an emergency is, “Fly the Airplane.” You might think, that no pilot has to be taught this because it is so obvious. What happens, however, is pilots can get so wrapped up in solving the problem that they forget the most important thing, flying the airplane. When they put too much attention on problem solving, and not enough on flying the plane they can create an even bigger problem while trying to solve what might be a simple problem.

Our Christian life can be somewhat similar. How so? The first thing we must remember is to love God above all else. When we love God, we strive to do his will, which results in us making good decisions in our lives, and prevents us from making a small issue a much bigger problem.

When asked “What is the greatest commandment?” Jesus says in Matthew 22:37, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.”

Dear Lord, you are the solution we need in our day to day activities, or in our emergencies. Help us remember the first and most important thing to love you. When we do you will help us through all our challenges. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

You may have heard this expression, “Where your attention goes, your energy flows.” Meaning that the things we focus on benefit from our energy and attention.

We can choose to put our attention on all the problems, worries, conflicts, controversies that tend to foster division, distrust, fear and anxiety, or we can choose to focus on the joys, friendships, amazing wonder of creation, advancements in life improving technologies, and the many other positives all around us.

The Apostle Paul tells us which to choose in Philippians 4:8, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Dear Lord, the World is continuously trying to drag our attention onto the negative things, help use keep our thoughts and attention on the innumerable positives you have provide all around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.