​As we celebrate our nation’s birthday this year, our church wanted to remind our community that this great country was founded upon a strong belief in and reliance on God. In many ways this documented fact has been attacked and suppressed in recent years. 
By using this speech from Benjamin Franklin which was given during the Constitutional Convention in 1787 just a short 11 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, we wish to highlight the dependence many of our Founders had upon God. 
This is not to say that every Founder was a true believer in Jesus Christ or that there was not religious controversy even then for even this speech from Franklin is surrounded in a bit of controversy itself. (Click here to read about it.)
We do however want to point you to other resources of learning and history that authenticate the fact that our nation was founded upon a strong respect for and reliance upon God.  May God use this short article to encourage you to do some research on your own and learn more about the truth of our great nation’s foundation.
If God has so blessed and helped the United States of America as she relied on him, might his help and truth be helpful for your current life and family situations? 
If we can be of help or if you do not have a Bible teaching church to attend, please consider visiting us.  We would enjoy meeting you.

Now, here is the quote from Franklin and a link to the whole speech. Have a wonderful Independence Day and may God bless you, your family and America.

Benjamin Franklin's Entire Speech before the Constitutional Congress 1787 - Click here to read.  
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Resources to learn more:

Wall Builders List of Historical Documents - Click to Visit
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Watch this short video clip and click here to download or purchase the whole DVD video called, "Americas Godly Heritage"

Consider visiting our church... Click below to learn more.

Hi,

I wanted to let you know that people miss seeing you at church. I know life has been hectic lately and you can’t make it as often as you think about coming. I know you are thankful like I am that our eternal salvation and relationship with God doesn’t rest on how often we are in church.  Truly, we are all thankful that Jesus' sacrifice took care of all of that for us, and we don’t have to work our way into Heaven! Being in church definitely doesn’t get us to Heaven, but it sure can be a little taste of Heaven on Earth.

With that being said, we all really wish you’d consider coming back to church. Here are a few reasons why we think you’d enjoy getting back into the routine.

1.      God’s Word. Pastor is still preaching and teaching from the Bible, and his messages are practical “where we live” kind of messages.  He’s been teaching on some really helpful topics recently, like being patient with people (I sure needed that one!), dealing with discouragement, how to have hope, and more.  All of these have been straight from the Bible.

2.      Praying with others. I know you enjoy prayer just between you and the Lord like I do. However, there is something special and uplifting about praying with other believers. I seem to understand more about prayer and how to pray when I hear others pray around me. It is also a blessing to hear them praising the Lord in prayer. It makes me praise Him more myself and takes my mind off of my problems. Hearing others pray is helping me realize that life is bigger than just me. Come join us in prayer. Of course, you remember that you don’t have to pray aloud. Just listen to others lead in prayer as you pray with them silently. It is so refreshing.

3.      Friendship with other believers.  I know there are people you don’t know at church, but I’m sure that the more you come, the more you’ll develop friendships. These friends will share your joys and cares. They will pray for you and even with you. There will be plenty of smiles and laughs, too. Christian friends are more than just friends, they are family – for eternity.

4.      A place to get involved.  I know you are not a selfish person and like to be involved in helping others. You are probably already busy enough doing things for others, but there is always room to serve others at church if you want to get more involved.  Just come on back and ask. We will help you get connected in an area that is right for you.

Well, I could go on, but the point is that I know people would be glad to see you in church again. I know for certain that the Lord would be happy to see you in church again.  Would you please rearrange your schedule and come see us this Sunday? I really feel like you’ll be glad you did.

The morning service starts at 10:45 AM.

Kindest Regards,

Willa Seyathere 

Other information about our church that may be helpful to you.

Ministries of our Church
More About us
What to expect when you come see us
How to know God

As parents, we know that unless we live off the grid completely, our kids are being influenced and impacted for better or worse by media. Ipads, smartphones, Xboxs, laptops, smart watches, e-readers and more all have a steady stream of pixels aiming at our kid's eyes and brain. (Notice we didn't even mention the ol' TV)

We came across this up to date research from Common Sense Media and The Center for Parent & Youth Understanding that we thought you would find as interesting and helpful as we did.

Check it out and let us know your thoughts. How do you control media consumption at your house? What parts or this research concern or don't concern you as a parent?

Click here to visit The Center for Parent & Youth Understanding and see the research.
(We recommend you visit their site often. They have very helpful information for parents.

Join us on Sunday morning at 10:45  for our Easter Celebration Service. Come celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ not only died for our sins, but rose again victorious over death and the grave. We have hope because he lives!

You'll enjoy and be encouraged by a morning filled with choirs singing and inspirational readings that will cause hope to rise in your heart. You too can join in, if you'd like, during our congregational singing.  We will conclude with an encouraging message of good news from Gods word, the Bible. We sure can use good news these days right?  

He lives! We have salvation, forgiveness, and hope for the future because He lives! Come celebrate with us at Faithway in Hampshire.  

Bring some kids with you. They will be encouraged by the program as well and excited to receive a gift bag from our church family for Easter. 

Need a boost to your relationships today?  Here are 5 phrases that are sure to make a difference in any relationship you have even if it has been struggling lately. Simple yet amazingly effective.  Try one out today!

1. “I love you.”  If you love someone, let them know it.  Tell them and show them often.  You may think they know it, and they might, but it is always nice to say it.  I Corinthians 13 reminds us that we can be smart, sacrificial and sound wonderful in our speech, but if we don’t have love, we are nothing. Tell your wife, your son or daughter, call your mom and dad.  Even in the struggles, an "I love you" sure can't hurt. 

2. “I was wrong, forgive me.” One of my professors in college encouraged us to substitute this phrase for “I’m sorry.”  In saying, “I was wrong” there is no doubt in the offended and hurt person’s mind that you know you hurt them and desire their forgiveness and restoration of the relationship. We can not be rightly related to God if we have broken and torn relationships with others. Perhaps you need to use this phrase with your teen today. Don't wait for them even if they were wrong too. 

3. “Thank you.”  In Luke 17 we read about those with leprosy who Jesus healed.  He literally changed the rest of their lives. Things were different because of His intervention.  Only one returned to say thank you.  There certainly have been people who have made a difference in your life.  People whose intervention changed things for the better. Do they know you are thankful?  What about old friends, parents, your children, their teachers, a coach or former pastor.  Make sure they know you are thankful.  “Thank you” is never said too late or too much.  

4. “I will .”  We must say “I will” to God as he speaks to us about things he wants us to do or change, but we also need to say it to others.  Jesus showed us in John 13 his willingness to wash his disciple’s feet. He then commanded us to do the same.  Look for needs you can meet, and then when you see it, say, “I will.”

5. “I can.” Have you hit some brick wall in your Christian life?  Do you feel defeated because of a sinful habit, or lack of prayer. Perhaps there is some difficult trial you and your teen are going through.  In either instance, it is easy to say, “I can’t make it.”  Paul reminds us that we CAN do all things THROUGH CHRIST who will strengthen us. A great lesson we must learn is that in myself I can’t, but in Him, “I can.

Want to strengthen your marriage, build quality friendships with other Christian couples and grow spiritually strong families? Check out Home Builders, our couples ministry at Faithway. You'll enjoy Bible studies, prayer times together and fun. Click here to learn more or join us next Sunday at 9:30 am.

The third Monday each January has been called “Blue Monday.” According to marketing research, this particular Monday of January each year is the most depressing day of the year for a majority of people.  We aren’t sure if this is true or not (you can read about it here) but we do know that discouragement and depression are real problems not only after holidays or during winter, but all year long. 

Here are 9 Biblical ways to help defeat it. We hope you’ll read them all, but at least scroll through the list below and allow God to use some of them to help you. You are not alone in your struggle. We realize this article is a bit longer than most that we post, but this is a difficult problem and we want to try to give you some good helpful information and not take it lightly.

“The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the joyous not always happy.”  Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
You are not alone in the struggle of life as it relates to discouragement and/or depression.  You might be interested to know that numerous heroes of our faith struggled with these difficult types of situations.

Discouragement, where does it come from?  Sometimes it feels like a dry, barren wind off a lonely desert. Something inside us begins to wilt.  At other times, it feels like a chilling mist seeping through our powers, it numbs the spirit and fogs the path before us…it strips our lives of joy and leaves us feeling vulnerable and exposed.

In the Bible, we see David struggled with these feelings. In Psalm 61:1–2  He writes, “Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer.  From the end of the earth I will cry to thee, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” We find it alluded to often in other Psalms as well:

Psalm 42:5-7, 9,11 – Listen to the Psalmist in these verses. Have you ever felt like this? Most of us have at one time or another.
 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted (Disquieted=groan loudly; moan) within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. 6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember thee from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar. 7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterspouts; All thy waves and thy billows have gone over me.9 I will say to God my Rock, “Why have thou forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”  11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him who is the health of my countenance and my God. 

Another great Bible character, Paul, wrote of his struggle with difficult emotional, physical and spiritual anguish.   2 Corinthians 7:5–6 — 5

 For when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. without were fightings, within were fears. Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;Throughout history, we find Christian saints who struggle with discouragement and depression.  We could list the godliest people we know and if the truth were known, we would discover that to a large degree, most if not all have had a struggle in this area.
 Abraham Lincoln thought the pain would lead to death; the body couldn’t tolerate it. He said,  “I am now the most miserable man living.  If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on earth.  Whether I shall ever be better, I cannot tell; I awfully forbode I shall not.  To remain as I am is impossible.  I must die or be better, it appears to me.”  

Here are others who wrote about the pain we all feel at times:      

·   You seem to imagine I have no ups and downs but just a level and lofty stretch of spiritual attainment with unbroken joy.… By no means! By no means! I am often perfectly wretched and everything appears most murky–John Henry Jowett, pastor of New York’s Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church and later Westminster Chapel in London to a friend in 1920

•     Lord Jesus, receive my spirit and put an end to this miserable life.--John Knox

•     There are dungeons beneath the castles of despair.--Charles Spurgeon, who suffered debilitating bouts of depression all his life

•     I had my temptations attending me.… Sometimes I should be assaulted with great discouragement therein, fearing that I should not be able to speak the Word at all …at which times I should have such a strange faintness and strengthlessness seize upon my body that my legs have scarce been able to carry me–John Bunyan
 
Perhaps today you are a  “weary pilgrim.”  You have known the dark nights and the days that seem like nights as you struggle through discouragement.  You can take heart – as you can see, you are in good company.

We will only begin to scratch the surface of the topic of discouragement/depression/and burnout.  Though they are not equal, they usually go hand in hand, so I have lumped them together. 

Before we begin, here are a few myths about the causes of discouragement and/or depression:

1.      Depression is always the result of lack of faith in God.
2.      Depression is always caused by self-pity.
3.      Depression can always be removed by spiritual exercises such as prayer and fasting.
4.      Depression can be removed by making a choice to be happy.
5.      The term “Depressed Christian” is a contradiction.
6.      All depression comes from Satan.
7.      Depression is God’s punishment.
8.      Depression is never the will of God.
 
To overcome depression, there are some necessary and needed adjustments we must make.  

Here are 9 places to look to help you overcome discouragement and depression.  
Looking to these places of help will aid in the correction  our distorted vision and help bring us out of the swamp or “slough of despond” as John Bunyan described it.
 
1.  Look to others who have suffered and succeeded. (Heb. 11)
Depression makes us feel alone.  Even in a crowd of people, we can feel as if we are somehow separate from everyone else.  This makes the misery only deeper.
We need to remember that there have been others who have been through deep waters in life yet they succeeded.  I have mentioned several in Scripture and in church history.  One of the greatest lists of those who struggle and faced incredible odds is found in Hebrews 11.  We read of the real men and women of the Bible who learned through hardship, pain and suffering to live by faith.
v.13 – they never saw the complete fulfillment of God’s promises – a land, a race, a city, but they had faith.  Our faith too must extend beyond this life to heaven.  That gives true meaning to what we experience in this life.
v. 36 – so we realize that everyone faces different and difficult circumstances, these had faith in God when life was at its worse.  When the greatest potential for discouragement and depression came their way, they had faith in God!
When you get depressed, it is good to remember that others have been through every imaginable pain and hardship (physically, mentally, and emotionally) and they testify that by faith, we can make it as well. Their lives remind me that everything in this life is not “pie in the sky”, ease and luxury.  Read their stories and you will not only discover their pain and suffering, you will see that they had the same questions you ask, 
“Does God hear me?”
“Does God love me?”
“Has God forsaken me?”
They made it and so can we.
 
 2.   Look to God.   
Revelation 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
You might think that “the beloved disciple” of Jesus, the one who wrote five books of the NT would have a life of ease and luxury for his service to Christ.  John was the last apostle to die.  He suffered in exile on the Isle of Patmos – a Roman Penal Colony – because he would not say that the emperor was “Lord and God.”
At potentially the most discouraging moments of his life, John saw God.  This is our greatest need when we are depressed.  God seems to be off the radar, so distanced form us that we have no connection with Him.
Remember the following realities about God:
God is good
God is all-powerful
God cares
God understands
God loves me
God is God
Write these statements in bold print in your Bible.  When we are depressed, we need a proper look at god.  Satan brings distortions and lies about God.  John saw God for who He is – “The Lord God omnipotent reigns.”

3.   Look to Jesus. 

Hebrews 12:2–3 — Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
      When we go through pain and suffering we are also looking for meaning.  Many people comment that if they could understand the purpose of their pain, then they could more easily handle the pain.
      But that revelation of purpose rarely comes when we think we need it.  Job had no idea of the Heavenly aspect to his earthly dilemma.  Joseph went through decades without answers.  Jesus cried from the cross, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
      When we experience depression we must look to Jesus!  V. 3 tells us why “lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”  It literally means “to give out.”  During times of discouragement, we want to give up.


4.   Look to the truth. 

John 17:17–18  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.  
As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.      It has been said that if you tell a lie long enough, it will be believed as the truth.  I think we can argue from history that this happens regularly.  We are very susceptible to lies.  Sometimes because we can’t verify them one way or another.  Sometimes because we are gullible and sometimes because we want to believe them.
      We need to be careful about what we listen to especially when we are discouraged.  It is easy to listen to lies:
      “God doesn’t care”
      “God is not with me”
      “No one has ever faced this before”
      “God is gone”
      These lies and hundreds of others feed discouragement and depression.  It is easier to believe lies because we have to take no steps of action.  All we have to do is live by our feelings.  Feelings change constantly.  Truth never changes.
      When you go through the valley of depression you must “remember in the dark the truth you learned in the light.”  Depression often happens as a result of replacing the Word of God as the driving force for our actions.  Even the physical causes of depression require a Biblical response.
      If we don’t replace the lies with truth we will have a “…faulty interpretation of the available information.”
      I want you to mark several key references that are the truths you need to remember to combat the lies when you are discouraged.
      1.   God never fails – Heb. 13:5b
      2.   Pain has a purpose (it purifies) – I Peter 4:1
      3.   God answers prayer – John 14:13-14
      4.   God is with me in my struggles – Ps. 46:1
      5.   Good will be the result – Rom 8:28
      6.   This will make me like Jesus – Rom. 8:29 
      7.   This is temporary – II Cor. 4:17
      8.   God is in control – Deut. 33:26-27
      9.   God gives me strength – Is. 40:31
      There are times when we can only cling to God and His promises.  That is a choice to live by faith and not to give in to our feelings.  Remember, “People who give up are people who have first given in (to their feelings).”
      Mark, memorize and study these truths from Scripture.  They are the truths that will set you free.

5. Look at the past.

Many people are depressed because of their past.  As they think back, there may be many, if not hundreds, of failures.  Failed projects, rejection, abuse, misrepresentations, sin, failure as a parent, spouse or friend, school failures, failures in relationships.  The list could be endless.  Why would anyone want to think about the past to overcome discouragement and depression?
Though this is not my main point, I should point out to you that caution should always be exercised when we think about the past.  Our mind may distort the facts.  Since we can rarely remember events exactly as they were, we may exaggerate the severity of an incident or we may minimize the good that has happened.  It’s easy to be the victim when we are discouraged.  Be careful how you remember the past!  The apostle Paul taught us that he forgot the things that were behind because his remembrance of those things would be a hindrance.
That does not mean that we never remember the past.  We don’t live in the past.  And we don’t have to allow the past to control us.  
What should we remember about the past?
Lamentations 3:1-9, 15-20, 21-25 
We need to remember that the God of the past is with us today.  There may be necessary, even unexplained, pain and difficulty.  But, as Jeremiah remembered, so must we.  In order to “crowd out the hopelessness” that can evade our lives we must have three memories from the past:
o   God’s inexhaustible supply of loyal love (“mercies”)
o   God’s warm compassion (Hebrew word that basically means “the womb”)
o   God’s forever faithfulness (His dependable support that will not let me down)


When we are discouraged, “It is though what we know by faith is struggling with what we are experiencing.”  One of the ways that the Israelites learned to not forget God was to build/have memorials. The rainbow, is a great example of God giving a reminder. Gen. 9:13-16
We too need memorials of God’s faithfulness.
o   Keep a journal – answers to prayer, favorite verses, times of God’s special favor
o   Write in your Bible 
o   Sing hymns
o   Review with a friend
o   Specific provision by God
We need to be careful that we don’t forget God’s faithfulness and promises!
 
6. Look to the future.
 
The grim shadow of depression creates false images and impressions.  Like a restless night, we think it will never end. We admit that there are many difficulties, heartaches, pain and struggles in our lifetime.  Psalm 34:19 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.”  For some it seems worse than for others.  It is easy to lose perspective when we are the ones facing difficulty. When discouraged we should look at the future:
 
Job did – Job 19:25-27   For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:  Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
Jesus did – Heb. 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Paul did – II Tim. 4:7-8  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.As a Christian, we can honestly say that the future is brighter than today.  We have to be careful that we don’t look only at our present distress.

“When will it ever end?”  may be the cry from our hearts.  I certainly cannot answer that question.  We may go through depressing times that last days, months, or years.  You might have chronic pain or an extended illness.  But “if in this life only we have hope, we are of all men most miserable” (I Cor. 15:19)

To overcome discouragement, we must realize that there is an eternity with God.  There will be no more pain, suffering, disappointment, heartache, injustice, or tears.  We will worship and enjoy God forever . . . that is our future.  
 
7.  Look at the benefits.
At first glance, it would seem that there are no benefits from struggling through the realities of life that cause us discouragement and depression. Yet we find benefits listed in Scripture. Here are a few to consider:
            a.   Job 23:10 – you will have greater value
            b.   Psalm 119:67,71 – keeps you from going deeper into sin
            c.   Romans 5:3-5 – you develop patience, experience, and hope
            d.   II Corinthians 1:4 – you will have a ministry to others
            e.   II Corinthians 12:9 – you will experience God’s strength
            f.    Hebrews 5:8 – you will learn obedience


Our difficulties in life can either bind us to the point of discouragement, depression and despair or we can see how everything that touches our lives has a divine purpose.  It is literally true, “No pain:  no gain.”
I am not suggesting that you go out and look for circumstances so that you can experience difficulty and discouragement.  They will automatically come to you!  However, since we know they will come, we should look at what God can and will do in our lives when we face the inevitable hard times.
 
8.  Look at praise.
 
 Psalm 69:29–31   But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.  I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.  This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.

The Bible is full of praise to God . . . in all circumstances and situations.  When we are discouraged, it is difficult to praise God.  That is probably what we most need to do.  Praise gets our focus off of our surroundings and on to God.  When we truly praise God, we are not thinking of ourselves.  A lot of what is termed praise today is not really praise of God.  Too often, there is still a focus on what I might get out of it:  a feeling, relief, or some emotional high. The Scripture calls it a “sacrifice of praise” (Hebrews 13:15). The time of sacrifice is when it cost me something.  The greatest cost is o truly praise God when there is nothing, humanly speaking, that would hint of praising God. But the remarkable truth is that praise of God needs to be a priority when we are discouraged.  Praise precedes deliverance. Go back to “Look to God” as the beginning of a long list of what to praise God for.  Praise means we truly rejoice in God.  We bless God; we take pleasure in God.
 
9.  Look to a friend.
 
1 Thessalonians 3:2  And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:
1 Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
 
When we are discouraged we need a friend, a true friend.  A true friend will listen to you.  They will help adjust your perspective:
 
·         They will listen to you, help discern truth from error and reinforce the truth of God’s Word to you.
·         They will pray with and for you.
·         They will help redirect your thoughts to the big picture and the joys of life.
·         They will “lend you their faith”.
When we face discouragement and depression, we should find a friend and pour out our heart to them.  Our friends become our supporting allies and will be there even though we feel as if we cannot make it.  And in a worst-case scenario, where we are friendless, as believers we have a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
 
Final Necessary Reminders:
 
•  Proper rest is essential
•  Watch your diet
•  Have a regular exercise program
•  You need a diversion (hobby)
•  Take time off
•  Learn to say “No”
•  DO NOT QUIT!!
•  PRAY
 
These are the encouragements we need when we are discouraged and/or depressed.  If you choose to live by these principles, you will be able to get out of depression.  But you must remember that to win over depression, it is a fight and will take effort and spiritual cooperation with the Lord if we are to overcome.  We are VICTORS IN CHRIST!

If you do not have a church home which preaches and teaches the Truth of the Bible, offers godly fellowship and reminds you that you have a relationship with God by grace through faith alone apart from works, we’d love to have you join us for a service soon. Here is more about our church.

In the meantime, here are some other articles and resources you may find helpful on this subject and others.

A good book is:  “Depression: Looking Up From The Stubborn Darkness” by Ed Welch
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A classic book on this topic is: “Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure” by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

60 years ago this month, 5 young missionaries were killed by natives in Ecuador. These men made an impact on missions and eternity that is unlike anything we've seen in modern days. Take a minute and read this amazing update.

Click here for the update.

It is here. 2016 is a fresh start. It provides a clean slate to write your story. Here are some biblical ways of doing so to consider as you begin.  Of highest importance is knowing for sure you have a vital real relationship with Jesus Christ through the simple plan of the Gospel.  If you are unsure of your relationship with God, we would invite you to contact us to talk in person. In the meantime, click here to help understand more about your relationship with God.

Here are 7 practical ways to begin 2016 in a biblical way.

1.       Begin With an Over-all  Renewed Commitment to the Priority of God in Your Life

Some things to think about as you consider the place of priority God has held in your life and how you might improve.

·         What do I spend my time doing each week? Remember, time is life and life is time. How you spend your time is how you are spending your life.  Sure there is time to relax, watch the game

·         What do I look forward to doing most in a week?  Does your answer have much to do with God or your service to him?

o   Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…(Matthew 6:33)

o   If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (Col 3:1-2)

o   Create and pray for the opportunities to serve in ways you enjoy.  The way you serve him will be according to the spiritual gifts and opportunities he has given you.

2.       Begin with a Renewed Commitment to the Priority of Prayer

It is interesting how large a portion of Sacred Writ is occupied with the subject of prayer, either in furnishing examples, enforcing precepts, or pronouncing promises. We scarcely open the Bible before we read, "Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord;" and just as we are about to close the volume, the "Amen" of an earnest supplication meets our ear. Instances are plentiful. Here we find a wrestling Jacob-there a Daniel who prayed three times a day-and a David who with all his heart called upon his God. On the mountain we see Elias; in the dungeon Paul and Silas. We have multitudes of commands, and myriads of promises. What does this teach us, but the sacred importance and necessity of prayer? – Charles Spurgeon

 “God’s acquaintance is not made hurriedly.  He does not bestow his gifts on the casual or hasty comer and goer.  To be MUCH alone with God is the secret of knowing Him and of having influence with Him.” E.M. Bounds

 “We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power.  We have a great deal of activity but we accomplish little; many services but few conversions; much machinery but few results.  The power of God is lacking in our lives and in our work.  We have not because we ask not.  It was a master stroke of the Devil when he got the church and the ministry so generally to lay aside the mighty weapon of prayer/ The Devil is not afraid of machinery, he is only afraid of God, and machinery without prayer is machinery without God. When due to lack of teaching or spiritual insight, we trust in our own diligence and effort to influence the world and the flesh, and work more than pray, the presence and power of God are not seen in our work as we wish.” R. A. Torrey

3.       Begin with A Renewed Commitment to the Word of God, The Bible.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Col 3:16)

 “Sanctify them through Thy Word, Thy Word is Truth.” (John 17:17)

Whatsoever things be TRUE….THINK on these things… (Phil. 4:8)

We ARE what we THINK on a regular basis. Meditate on the Bible every day.

·  Read the Word – Don’t get discouraged if you miss a day or a week or a month….

· Listen to the Word preached – take notes, MP3, online sermons….  www.oneplace.com

·  Memorize the Word

·  Consider it in daily actions – remember that as a Christian it is “written on your heart.” What does that mean to you?

4.       Begin Without the Nagging Paralyzing Effect of Fear, Dread and Worry

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Isa 41:10)

Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ… Peter 1:13

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2Co 10:5)

Remember:

Great Faith is not an irrational leap. It is a reasonable trust in the revealed truth about God. It is a process of thinking. John MacArthur

Faith is primarily thinking.  The trouble with a man of “little faith” is that he doesn’t think.  He allows circumstances to beat him up.  Faith is not purely mystical.  Christian faith is essentially thinking (by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit) on the truths of God’s Word. “Look at the bird, the grass, the lilies, --consider them…think about it and draw your deductions based on logic.  Faith is a man determined to think on truth when circumstances tell him not to. Lloyd-Jones

The essence of “little faith” is that a man’s thoughts are controlled by circumstance and not by the man girding up the loins of his mind and bringing them captive to the truth.  The man of “little faith” is the man who is not allowing the Spirit to fill him with the truth of the Word of God, but is being filled with his own thoughts of fear, worry and suspicion based on circumstances.  He then does not think, but goes round and round in circles.   Worry is not “thinking too much” it is not thinking enough about the Biblical truth that you know.  It is not letting the Word of Christ “dwell in you richly” and being “filled with the Word of God by the Holy Spirit” Faith is not optimism, wishful thinking, or dreaming.  It is a reasoned response to the revealed truth of the Bible with or without emotion.  Lloyd-Jones

5.       Begin Without Conviction from Sins of the Past Which You Have Confessed and Forsaken.

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (Pro 28:13)  If you haven’t confessed and forsaken your sin.  Do so today. Would you rather have a year of failure or a year of mercy?

6.       Begin with A Renewed Commitment to Spiritual Disciplines in the Pursuit of Godliness.

God makes us Godly!!!    We “put ourselves in the way.”  Remember:

·         Discipline brings Freedom to reach your goals

·         Discipline is based on principle and commitment -not feeling

·         Discipline without direction is drudgery. - Donald Whitney

 Examples of areas to develop disciplined routines for godliness.

A great resource for ideas in the book, Spiritual Discipline by Donald Whitney.

·         Bible intake          

·         Service

·         Confession to God

·         Prayer

·         Searching/solitude

·         Praise

·         Devotions

·         Accountability

·         Evangelism

7.       Begin with The End in Mind.

What do you want the end of 2016 to be like? What do you want to have accomplished, how to you want to be better? Different? This means you’ll need to set and accomplish goals.  Here are some ideas on how to do so.

Quick steps to getting where you want to go…

·         Review your roles (What roles do you play?  Mom, Dad, Employee, Christian, Husband, Wife…?

·         Realistic reflection in each area of how you can and should improve.

·         Righteous reach forward (God ordained Goals).  Set goals for each role.

·         Reinvented routine. Determine to change your life’s routines in order to reach your goals.

·         Revitalized rigor. Get excited and motivated by envisioning how your life and the lives of those around you will improve as you reach your goals.

If you do not have a church you feel at home in or that teaches the Bible in a truthful practical way, we invite you to visit us some Sunday. 

“Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house were tensions and frustrations. What a rouse!

The hurts and offenses from long long ago seemed just under the surface. Things were ready to blow.”

Does this, in some measure, describe your family Christmas each year?  Are you concerned about the gatherings over the next few weeks?  You are not alone. It isn't just your family. In fact even in the Bible we see family conflict from the first family (Cain murdered his brother Able) right on to the family of Jesus himself. If you study the families of historical heroes in the faith, missionaries and even pastors, you’ll find conflict to one degree or another. Why? We are all sinners. We irritate each other at the very best and “bite, devour and destroy one another” (Galatians 5:15) at worst. 

So how do we handle tough family situations during the Holidays when it is supposed to be a time of love, joy and peace?  A time to cherish the memories of each other’s company, yet it is filled with strife?  Certainly there are an infinite number of situations. This post is not intended as a “cure-all” article nor do we want to minimize your family’s needs by trying to tackle them in a short blog post. However, we want to offer some basic Bible principles and a few practical ideas that may be of help.  

1.       Love your family.  Jesus said that our love for family must be secondary to our love and devotion to him.  He also said to love our enemies and those who spitefully hurt us.  In order to love Jesus and honor him, we must love our families.  What does this love look like though in practical terms? Does it mean we open ourselves or our children up to physical or spiritual harm? No! However, It does mean that we love biblically.  Study 1 Corinthians 13 for a refresher on what this means. We suggest you seek wise biblical counsel from a pastor or godly friend for help in your particular situation especially if it is involves an abusive situation.

2.       Pray. Pray for yourself. Pray that you will show grace, love, patience, mercy and reflect Christ and his actions toward those who hurt him.  Pray also for the family members who cause problems. Seek God's help diligently about the whole situation through serious prayer.

3.       Open neutral lines of communication.  The Christmas visit probably isn't the best time to confront or rebuke. Instead, perhaps you could make an actual list of topics you can chat about which you know will be neutral.  Try crafts or hunting and fishing. What about new apps you've found for your phone? Recipes, pets, new restaurants… the list could go on, but think ahead about it and write it down.  Maybe write it in a note on your smartphone so you can discreetly refer to it when needed in the middle of the room or in the car. 

4.       Don’t preach. Again, this probably isn't the time to correct, advise or rebuke. If frustrating topics arise, do your best to suggest postponing the conversation. Have a plan of action for politely walking away. (I have to email a friend for Christmas, wrap a gift, check on the kids…) Do your part to avoid tense subjects especially if you’re prone to being a confronting type person. 

5.       Limit the time. Plan ahead to limit your time together.  Don’t over-stay.  Planning ahead allows you to politely  let them know you’ll only be staying for a few hours or just for a meal.  If family is coming to your house, plan something ahead that you’ll be involved in after the family visits. Invite others over at a certain time so the family members in question will need to leave etc. This is not being rude. It is planning to avoid conflict.

6.       Plan activities. Perhaps you can visit a local landmark together. Go to dinner at a neutral place in public. You can plan crafts with the kids, outdoor or indoor games or watching a Christmas movie. Avoid down time where people are bored, restless or have opportunity for negative conversation and/or arguments. Keep the flow of activity moving with things that give options to keep minds and talk active with positive subjects. 

7.       Create Space.  If possible, plan ahead for times of space for yourself and/or your family while still visiting. Maybe you’ll take the kids for some last minute shopping or to a McDonald’s Play Place. Plan a walk or run each day.  Plan to call a friend for Christmas which takes you away into a private room for a short time.  Bring a project to work on with the kids – a model or craft. Whatever it is. Plan ahead to create some space so tensions can ease. Space allows you and them time throughout the visit cool down. 

We fully realize that these few suggestions could seem trite depending on how difficult things are for you.  We hope not, but we do want you to know that we realize that the Christmas and New Year’s holidays are not always “the most wonderful time of year” and we care.   If we can be of help to you or your family, please join us for services and talk with us.  We care and we believe the Bible can bring hope to your situation.

Here are some other articles and information you may be interested in.

Feel free to join us for this special Christmas service. Your heart will be better prepared for celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.

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