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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

Read Matthew 8:5-13

Many had faith that Jesus could heal them. This isn’t unusual to this story.  What is different is that a Roman Centurion is telling Jesus He doesn’t need to come, that he isn’t worthy to host Him.  The centurion doesn’t want Jesus to be put in the situation of having to answer for going into his home.  So the centurion states in faith, “Just speak the word Lord and my servant will be healed” shows a depth of faith greater than any found in Israel according to Jesus.

Unlike our passage from yesterday, this healing isn’t initiated by the one being healed, but through the faith of another.  We are called to pray for others to be healed; for the Holy Spirit to open their hearts to Jesus’ presence.  Pray that physical healing might open people to the permanent Spiritual healing available in Jesus Christ.

Brett Spalding, Pastor

Read John 5:1-8

It is ironic that Jesus would ask the paralytic if he would want to be healed.  It is heart breaking to think that someone might not want to be healed; but this is the case at some level with all of us.  Some find it so difficult to imagine life without an addiction, and they would rather live with what they know than face the unknown.  Others of us have a sin in our life we don’t want to give up because it provides some perceived happiness, and we are afraid to live without it.  Either way, it begs Jesus to ask the question; “Do you want to be healed?”  It begs us to ask the question; “Are we ready to allow Jesus to heal us?”

Let us cry out to God in prayer, yes, I want to be healed and pray for those we know who at this point have resisted healing in Jesus Christ.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to open hearts and minds and allow Jesus in.

Brett Spalding, Pastor

Read Psalm 30:1-4

David exalts God; he praises God for lifting him out of the depths.  He cried out to God and He healed him.  Like the healing we read about in our two previous devotionals, we must ask God for healing, we must believe and confess to receive it.   Notice that David specifies the healing in verse 3; it is not just physical healing, but spiritual healing as well.  While physical healing is temporary, spiritual healing is eternal.  Sometimes we get too caught up in desiring healing that is only temporary and not treasuring eternal healing.  Of course, pray for physical healing and praise God when He chooses to provide it, but let us always make sure our hearts are grounded in the eternal kingdom.

Let us praise God today and exalt Him in prayer for eternal healing that He lovingly provides us. 

Brett Spalding, Pastor

Read Luke 5:12-13

Yes, this week’s devotional theme is healing. Today we see a man who fell at Jesus’ feet with his face to the ground. He confesses his faith to Jesus knowing that if Jesus is willing, he can be “made clean.” Notice that Luke doesn’t just use the word healed, but “made clean.” People associated these types of diseases with some kind of sin during those days, and we can’t overlook the redemptive nature of this healing. While Jesus may not heal us of all our physical ailments (for example – Paul was not healed of his ailment) He will cleanse us from our sins, that is, make us clean in the eyes of God. To receive this blessing, we just have to do what the leper did, believe and confess our faith in him as Lord and Savior.

I urge you to give thanks in your prayer today that Jesus was and is willing to make us clean from our sins against God.

Brett Spalding, Pastor