Author: communitych@frontier.com

Read Mark 4:9-12

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  I mentioned earlier, my grandfather often said to me, “God gave you two ears and one mouth, use them in proportion.”  I guess that also goes along with Psalm 46:10; “Be still and know that I am God.”  God wants us to talk to him, but He also wants us to slow down and listen so He can talk to us as well.  This week we will focus on the Gospel, which is the Good News of Salvation found in Jesus Christ. 

Remember to take time to read scripture and meditate on it and allow God to speak to you.

Brett Spalding, Pastor

Read Romans 10:14-15

Are your feet beautiful?  That would be a very strange question if not asked in the context of today’s passage.  We are sent to preach the Good News of Jesus.  Why?  Because we believe in the promise of eternal life that He has made to us.  Jesus anointed us to do just that.  This calling is not just to pastors or elders, but every single person young and old and in between. This call is to all who know Jesus and have confessed their faith in Him.  Some say the future of the church is with the young.  The truth is, in God’s eyes we are all young.  The future of the church, the Kingdom of God is the truly the next person who confesses their faith in Jesus Christ. 

Brett Spalding, Pastor

Read Matthew 28:18-20/Mark 16:15

Ever been in a locker room right before a game, the coach is giving the final instructions, the pep talk?  Normally the coach emphasizes one specific teaching point that’s been emphasized many times in practice.  The coach has equipped the players and now he must turn the game over the players.  He or she can’t play and they use this last minute to encourage the players before sending them out.  This is exactly what Jesus does in our passages today.  This is what I want you to do.  This is your number one assignment above all else!

Let us follow Jesus’ instruction.  Let us go and preach the good news and in so doing make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Brett Spalding, Pastor

Read Psalms 67

David reminds us in this Psalm that the harvest begins with the praise and worship of God.  Faithfulness by believers will result in all people experiencing God’s blessing and salvation.  When we worship and praise God, when we seek God’s blessing and praise Him joyfully, the land will yield its harvest.  

Want the church to yield a great harvest (want the church to grow?), then make worship a priority every Sunday!  David did, as did Jesus!  Pray for the strength and energy to worship God always, each and every day of our lives.

Brett Spalding, Pastor

Read John 20:21/Acts 1:8

Is anyone still nervous about yesterday’s devotional and God sending you out to others?  Jesus tells us in these two passages today not to be nervous at all.  He says to us, peace be upon you for I’m not sending you alone, the Holy Spirit will, yes will, be with you.  I remember the first time I was sent to someone to share God’s peace with people – ask me about it next time you see me.  I remembered very little about that encounter right after it happened, except that God granted me great peace in the hours, days, and weeks following.   In Jesus’ words; “Peace be upon you.”

Brett Spalding, Pastor

Read Isaiah 6:8

Is Jesus calling out to you?  Is the Holy Spirit placing someone in front of you today saying, “I want you to talk with this person, I want you to show them kindness and share your faith with them.”  When I asked this question did you say, oh no and begin getting nervous?  Don’t look at your calling this way.  This is truly a gift to us.  Jesus wants all of us to share in ministry with Him.  Again remember, God is sending you and He will equip you with everything you need to sow the seeds of faith, let Him worry about the results.  The only time we fail is when we don’t speak up and share the Good News.

Pray for those God is calling you to visit and know that He will walk with you and equip you with the words you need.

Brett Spalding, Pastor

Read Matthew 13:3-9

I suspect you’ve heard this parable many times.  One message is clear to us, go and sow the seeds.  Some will never sprout, some will sprout and wither, some with sprout and grow even, but never come to full fruit.  Others, however, will produce huge yields!  We can’t control the heart that hears the message, we can only sow the seed.  Our call is to sow the seed.  Our success is measured in sowing the seed not in how the person responds.  Often, we will never see the response. 

The question we need to ask is this, how have we responded to the message and are we sowing the seeds of faith in others?   We can only control our response and not others.  Go as Mark 16:15 tells us; “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”  Let us pray for the courage to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and that people will hear and respond by confessing their faith in Him.

Brett Spalding, Pastor

Read Luke 10:1-3

We shift our focus this week to Jesus’ desire for his disciples to share their faith with others.  In his journey from the transfiguration to Jerusalem, Jesus sent the 72 out to share the peace of Christ with others.  Jesus made it clear that this would not be easy.  He uses the metaphor of sending sheep out amongst the wolves.  Today it feels like that at times, but the harvest field today is just as ripe as it was then. 

While evangelism seems overwhelming; remember Who sends you out, remember the one who walks with you, Jesus.  We all share in this calling to share Jesus’ grace and peace with others.  Pray for and depend on the Holy Spirit to equip us with all we need to carry out this mission.

Brett Spalding, Pastor

Read Mark 10:46-52

Blind Bartimaeus is one of my favorite people in the Bible.  He shouted to Jesus in faith.  Even when people told him to be quiet, he shouted even louder, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.”  Do we quiet our praise of God at times because people are put off by our loud praise of God?  Have you ever told someone to be quiet; have you ever shushed a child who is praising God (expressing their faith) in their own way?  Bartimaeus was taking no chances.  No one was going to silence his faith and get in the way of his one shot to be healed by Jesus.

Don’t ever allow anyone to silence your praise of God and please don’t ever seek to silence another’s praise of God.  Pray that we will always find the voice and courage to praise the Lord, even when people are trying to silence us.

Brett Spalding, Pastor

Read Luke 8:40-48

Today we see another example of great faith.  This woman, ill for 12 years had faith that if she only touched Jesus’ garment, she would be healed.  I don’t need to bother Jesus; I don’t need Him or anyone else to notice me; I just need to touch His garment.  Jesus however wanted everyone to see her faith.  He wanted everyone to know that healing (that peace in life) comes through faith.  Notice Jesus said, “Go in Peace.”  In other words, don’t be troubled with your illness anymore for you have found peace today in Jesus Christ.

Jesus often greeted people who were scared with the words; “peace be with you.”  He wanted this woman and us to know not just healing, but to know peace in Christ.  He wants us to know that same peace in Him.  Please pray for Jesus’ peace in our hearts and the hearts of others who do not know Him.

Brett Spalding, Pastor