Jeremiah 9:24 "Let the one...boast...that they have the understanding to know me."

God says: "Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me."(vv. 23-24 NIV). The truth is, if you don't know God, it doesn't matter how much money you have in your bank account, or what diplomas hang on your wall, or what position you hold in the company. Until you have a relationship with God, you really haven't begun to live! And part of getting to know Him is learning the truth about yourself. After witnessing the miracle-working power of Christ, Peter acknowledged, "I am a sinful man!" (Lk. 5:8 NIV). When the prophet Isaiah saw the Lord sitting upon His throne, he cried, 'Woe is me!" (Isa 6:5 NKJV). But God doesn't tell you the truth and leave you that way. No, like a good doctor, He tells you you're sick so that you can get the proper treatment. And the proper treatment for sin is salvation through Jesus Christ. So if you've never accepted Him as your Savior, start today by like this: "Lord, I repent and turn from my sin. I place my life in Your hands, trusting You as my Lord and Savior. By faith, I receive the gift of eternal life. Starting today, I ask you to lead and guide me, fulfill Your will through me. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Daily Devotion: A Word for You Today 

Staying Close in the No

When we receive a 'no' from God, our natural tendency might be to pull away in disappointment or frustration. However, these are precisely the moments when we need to draw closer to Him. Like a child who, even after hearing 'no' from a loving parent, still seeks their embrace, we're invited to press into God's presence even more during times of divine denial. This closeness allows us to better understand His heart, receive His comfort, and ultimately align our desires with His perfect will. It's in these intimate moments that we discover that God's 'no' often leads us to something far better than what we initially sought.

Verse: Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. - 1 Corinthians 6:9-12

Question: How can you intentionally draw closer to God during seasons when He's saying 'no' to something you desire?

Quote: Instead of you trying to push away from God, say God, I don't know why you told me no. I don't know what you're trying to show me in this no. But I'm gonna stay close to you because I know you don't waste words.

Prayer: Dear God, when I hear Your 'no,' help me to draw closer rather than pull away. Let me find comfort in Your presence and trust in Your perfect plan. Thank You for loving me enough to guide me, even when it means saying 'no.' Amen.

Psalm 139:16 "You saw me before I was born... Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

Way before God set Earth's foundations, He had you in mind.  He thought of all you could conceivably need. Mind-boggling, isn't it? A respected author writes: "God planned for every contingency you might ever encounter, before the beginning of time...It is impossible for finite minds to comprehend the Sovereignty of God, but let me put it in chess terms. In 1997, a team of IBM engineers designed and developed Deep Blue, the computer that outmaneuvered chess grandmaster, Garry Kasparov.  Deep Blue was equipped with thirty-two processing engines that could calculate 200 million contingencies in a split second. That's laughable compared to the Omniscient One who took every contingency into consideration before a nanosecond had even ticked off the clock of time.  Think of your life as a game of chess. You are the pawn and God is the Grand Master. You have no idea what your next move should be, but God already has the next 200 million moves planned out." God says, "I make known the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:10). Are you grappling with knowing God's will for your life? Here is the simple truth: God wants you to arrive where He wants you to go more than you want to arrive where God wants you to go. And if you keep in step with the Spirit, God will make certain you arrive where He wants you to go.

-Daily Devotion from A Word for You Today

"I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD. 'They are plans for good...to give you a future and a hope.'" Jeremiah 29:11
Paul was totally invested in what God had called him to do. Are you? When it comes to barriers to success, we are usually our own worst enemies. Taking the steps necessary to fulfill a God-given dream will cost you. You will have to work hard. You will have to make sacrifices. You will have to keep learning, growing, and changing. Are you willing to do that? Most people aren't. Ask people when they will do what they want to do, and most will answer that they hope to do it "someday." Why not now? Because you're not ready? Perhaps you're not. But if you wait until you are, maybe you never will.  You only get ready by starting. And if you're willing to start, here are some things you can count on: First, it will be different than what you imagined. Second, it will be more difficult than you imagined. Third, it will be better than you imagined. Mark Twain said that the two greatest days in a person's life are the day they are born and the day they discover why they were born. If you want to discover why you were born. If you want to discover why you were born, spend time with God. His Word says, "I know the plans I have for you... They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me." (VV. 11-13 NLT)  Seek God. Listen to His voice. Start. His plans are better than you can imagine!

-Daily Devotion "A Word for You Today" 

I Praise God For What He Has Done!
"By this time tomorrow, we are expected to run out of our supplies," said one of my bosses during an emergency phone meeting in 2020. By this time tomorrow, our protective gear for COVID was estimated to run out. I, at the time, was on my off week from work. I remember getting off the phone crying and praying to God to please protect my partners. This was still during a time when we didn't know how bad COVID would get. As I was praying, I suddenly felt a peace to stop praying...as if *It* was finished. The next day, we received a mass text from our boss saying a truck load of supplies arrived at our hospital unexpectedly from an anonymous donor at 4am. We never ran out of supplies. Even in the future, when we had close calls needing more BiPAPs or ventilators, we were always protected and never ran out. I will never forget what God had done for myself, my patients, and colleagues during the pandemic. God's works are beyond human understanding. Despite what all God continues to do for us in our lifetime, the greatest action that God has ever done was to send His only son to die on the cross so that our sins can be forgiven. Because of what Jesus has done, I have a future in Heaven. I Praise God, the Son, and the Holy Ghost for what they have done! There is hope in His presence. "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" Isaiah 41:10

https://youtu.be/j5lcadt8D2o?si=aXCEDF4j6KF-PCk0

Submission from Dr. Kim Edwards, Even If Singles Ministry Director- O'Neal COG

"For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." Acts 17:28
Without the Holy Spirit, we are as chariots without horses to pull them, like branches without sap. We are withered. In Him we live, move, and have our being.
Once the apostle Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-6), Paul's life became an outreach to the body of Christ. Even while Paul was in prison, he served the church by writing letters of inspiration, reassurance, and encouragement, which are part of the New Testament that we read today.
Although Paul needed comfort, he placed the needs of the body of Christ above himself and became a comfort to those around him and to us today through his writings ( 2Cor 1:34). Paul gave us marvelous letters written in ink, but the Holy Spirit has made you a walking, breathing letter that is made alive with God's power and love.
You are a living letter to be read and known by everyone that you come into contact with.  You are the letter of Christ written on human tablets of the heart (2Cor. 3:2-3).  
 
Prayer: Holy Spirit, I rely totally on you today to make my life an outreach to those who are hurting and lost, in Jesus Name! Amen!

Post submitted by Pastor David Whitmore, Youth Pastor

John 13:3,4 "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself."
When it came to serving others, Jesus went first. He "rose from supper...laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself...poured water into a basin...began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded...Peter said to Him, 'Lord, are You washing my feet?" (vv.4-6 NKJV) Try to imagine God incarnate with an apron on, kneeling to wash the feet of the who were unworthy. The Bible says, "Jesus laid aside His garments."  If you want to serve others, you must be willing to lay aside your image, your comfort, and your agenda. By laying aside His garments, Jesus demonstrated that God has no time for form or fashion. Real ministry isn't image conscious, it's done with complete disregard for distinction. But Peter didn't get it! He was embarrassed to think Jesus would let Himself be seen in such a demeaning light. So, Jesus said: "You call Me Teacher and Lord...If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you...If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." (vv. 13-15,17 NKJV) There are certain things in your life that must be set aside in order to serve others and do the will of God. If you want to be blessed, don't join those who delight in their own speeches and who trumpet their own accomplishments. Set aside everything you privately glory in and pick up the towel of servanthood.  Don't wait for someone else to do it. You go first!
"The Word for You Today" Devotional submitted by Pastor Derrek Sims, Associate Pastor

"So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing." 1 Thess. 5:11
Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A, was often heard saying, "Who needs encouragement? Anyone who is breathing!"  Encouragement is something that we all need, sometime more than others.  It is like light in the darkness, a burst of positivity that is able to lift our spirits and inspire hope to press on.  We should recognize our own need for encouragement as a need within others as well and take the opportunity to be an encourager.  It can take on the form of a simple smile, a kind word to a stranger in the grocery store, sharing a passage of Scripture with someone who is struggling, an open ear to listen, or a helping hand to assist.  Encouragement is a ministry opportunity that we can all be a part of and doesn't take a title, a degree, or a specialized skill to make an impact.  It simply takes love for one another and making the choice to be an encourager.  Paul, after being beaten, imprisoned and driven out of Thessalonica, continued to write to the Thessalonian believers and encouraged them to encourage one another.  Today, I encourage you to encourage fellow believers, family, coworkers, and strangers with the love of Christ in your words and actions!  Your impact is greater than you know when you simply choose to be an encourager! God bless!
-Pastor Derrek, Associate Pastor