You may have heard this story in other contexts, but it is good illustration of the Bible text today.

A teacher stands in front of a class with a clear plastic pitcher. Into the pitcher he pours golfball size rocks until they fill to the top of the pitcher. The teacher then asks the class, “Is the pitcher full?” Most of the students agree that it is full. The teacher then reaches behind his desk and finds a container of fine sand, which he proceeds to pour into the pitcher. The sand fills in the gaps between all the rocks and eventually all the gaps are filled and the sand reaches the top of the pitcher. The teacher then asks the class again if the pitcher is filled. Suspicious of another trick, most of the students are cautious but agree that now the pitcher is full. Then the teacher pulls out a container of water and proceeds to pour a cup of it into the pitcher, filling it to the top. “Now,” he says, “the pitcher is full.”

In John 15:10-11 Jesus says, “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

Some people may feel that they are fulfilled, but without Jesus, there will be something missing. Like the pitcher, it may look full, but it is not until the water fills it up that we can be truly fulfilled.

As Jesus says when his joy is in us, our joy is complete.

Dear Lord, we are incomplete as people without you in our hearts and lives. Help us obey you and remain in your love so that our Joy may be complete. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers reading this message. I wish you God’s Blessings of Peace and Joy!

My three brothers and I are incredibly blessed to have a caring, faith filled, wise Christian mother who raised us with love and understanding. She is also loved very much by our wives as their mother too. She lives her life as a wonderful example of faith and service for our whole family.

Happy Mother’s Day also to my wife Liz! You are a tremendous Christian woman that is an inspiration to our family! Like your mother, you are a gracious, kind, and strong woman of faith, for all of us to admire and model.

Paul writes in Ephesians 6:3 about the honored position mothers have, and the promise God has for those who honor them, writing, “If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

Today, let us all remind ourselves to follow Solomon’s words from Proverbs 23:25. “So give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth be happy.”

Dear Lord, help us realize and appreciate the beautiful way you built life for us, with a loving mother to bring us into this world. Help us all honor our mother’s with the lives we live, so that we can bring them happiness and joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Do you work out with weights in the gym, and struggle through the last repetition? Ever played organized sports, and had to do drills? Extra running? Sprints? Or in school did you do the same type of math problem over and over?

Why do we do these things that we don’t necessarily enjoy? We do them to improve ourselves so we perform better in the future.

Have you ever thought that God allows us to struggle and suffer some things in life to make us stronger Christians?

The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 5:3 “…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces character”

We need to look at our struggles and suffering, not as the permanent result God has intended for us, but as an exercise that can make us stronger and more reliant on God in the future.

Dear Lord, we know You love us and know the struggles and suffering we face. Help us endure our sufferings with the knowledge that if we handle them with faith in You, they will help us become stronger and more capable Christians. In Jesus name we pray. Amen

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Jesus tells the blind men, in Matthew 9:29, “Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”

Paul tells the Galatians in Galatians 3:5, “I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ”

The way I read this, by our faith and belief in God’s power miracles occur and our prayers are answered.

Are we firmly believing God can and will bring miracles in our lives?

Dear Lord, like the father tells Jesus in Mark 9:24 We do believe Lord, help our unbelief. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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I attend a weekly men’s Bible study, and yesterday the text we were discussing was the section of James 3:1-12 about the power of our words for good and evil. We discussed also how significant the words used by parents, particularly fathers, are on their children.

James wrote in James 3:4-6 “And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire.”

We often think when we use sarcasm, “it is harmless, he/she knows I am kidding.” However when we stop and think about what sarcasm is, “The use of irony to mock or convey contempt.” Synonyms including ridicule, and scorn. Would we every chose to mock or ridicule those we love most and who are most influenced by what we say?

On the other hand, the amazing power we have for good in what we say can change those peoples’ lives. Let us use this power to strengthen, encourage, and uplift those we love.

Dear Lord, Help us remember the powerful effect of our words on those we love and who love us. Give us the wisdom to use this power for their benefit. Inspire us with words they will remember for strength, hope, and peace in their lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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