Pastor's January Encouragement
You Are Covered
Have you ever been running errands, and while finishing up you heard the sound of thunder, followed by raindrops dancing on the pavement outside? At that moment, you realize how much you wish you had the umbrella laying on the seat in your car. You venture into the storm and raindrops seem to target you. You are soaked. You know that if you just had your umbrella, you would be covered and those raindrops would not have a chance.
The good news for us today is that once you give your heart to Jesus Christ you are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. That means you are protected by God’s love and God’s protection. When you are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ it does not mean that bad days will not come. But it does mean those bad days will not be as devastating as they could have been without the presence and protection of your loving savior. You see if you had that umbrella it would not ensure that you would be completely dry from the rainstorm, but you would, most certainly be better off with the umbrella than you would without it. In a similar way being covered by the blood of Jesus means you will most certainly be better off with it than without it. God will guide you around some trouble, and God will keep you when trouble has found you. Let’s celebrate being covered by a loving God.
God Bless You,
Pastor Cox
1/30/22
Grace for Today
Today can be a lot to manage. There is so much to get done and so many things to cross off your list of things to do. It can feel at times like it would take two of you to get it all done. This is compounded by some of the things that did not get done yesterday. Those things have been piled on top of the massive stack of things you have to accomplish. Then there is the fear of not getting it all done. It is enough to cause a tidal wave of anxiety. Here is your dose of good news. God gives us grace. With God’s grace we are able to make it. Here’s how God’s grace works. In some instances, God gives us the kind of grace that reminds us to forgive ourselves when we are not perfect. Other times God gives us grace to help us push through when we feel tired or frustrated. Still other times God gives us the kind of grace that reminds us of all the other times we have been able to figure things out with God’s help.
One last thing, God’s grace is always enough for today. In fact, God’s grace is tailor made for you today. God knows where you are, what you are facing, and the exact kind of grace you need to have success today. God also has the right amount of grace for you today. God’s grace will not run short like the wine at the wedding in Canna of Galilee. God’s grace is abundant. Think of Psalm 23 where it says “my cup runs over.” That is the kind of grace God gives just for you today. Be encouraged, be inspired, be strengthened, be set free by God’s grace.
God Bless You,
Pastor Cox
1/23/22
Suspend Your Judgment
In Mark 8 Jesus touched a blind man’s eyes and asked him if he could see. The man said “I see men that look like trees.” In that moment I’m sure there were people in the crowd who were quick to say “see I told you Jesus couldn’t do it.” Other people said “this man was better off before Jesus touched him.” Over and over again people underestimated Jesus and spoke too soon. Sometimes the things God leads us to do will not always look good to us or to others initially. But it is important to remember God knows what God is doing. And that our initial judgement is not always right. In many instances God may just be getting started working on us or on our situation. And at the point when people are evaluating you God is still in the process of showing God’s self to be mighty. When David walked out to face Goliath everyone thought he was out matched. When Noah was building an ark on dry land people called him crazy. When Nehemiah was beginning to rebuild the walls people tried to convince him to stop. And in all of those instances God did amazing things to defy the naysayers. When the man told Jesus he saw men that looked like trees Jesus touched the man’s eyes again and he was able to see. I’m glad that man didn’t give up on Jesus too soon, and I hope you don’t either. God knows what God is doing, remember to trust Him.
God Bless You,
Pastor Cox
1/16/22
Trust God
Have you ever gone to a concert or movie and got into the theater walked up to your seat and refused to sit down until someone came to show you proof that the chair could hold you up? Or, have you ever walked into a building and before you set foot on the elevator you called the elevator inspection company to make sure the elevator was in sound working condition? If you’re like me the answer is no. You simply walked into that theater and sat down in your seat or stepped on the elevator and confidently pressed the button for your floor. In both instances you trusted the chair and the elevator without hesitation. We trust things every day without a second thought. But when it comes to God sometimes, we can be hesitant to fully trust God. You may have an understanding of God from your upbringing, or from what you have read in the Bible. But knowing God and trusting God are two different things. Trusting God is about believing without hesitation.
Trusting God is having the confidence to just sit in the seat and trust that it will hold you up. Sometimes it is difficult to trust God because you may have a history of being let down. Maybe a close friend betrayed you, or a company you were loyal to was not loyal to you, or some institution that you believed would do right by you absolutely failed you. When you are surrounded by reminders of your trust being misplaced it can be difficult to remain trusting. I have learned that God is trustworthy in every situation and circumstance. I have never depended on God and God let me down. So keep trusting God. Believe God can do anything but fail.
God Bless You,
Pastor Cox
1/9/22
Something Is Out There
Happy New Year! In most scary movies there comes a moment when the characters sense that something is out there and that it wants to harm them. That sense that something is out there haunts them and it haunts us for the rest of the movie. But that feeling can translate into our lives especially as we approach the New Year. You may feel like there is something out there in 2022, and that feeling could be terrifying. But I have some incredible news for you, there is something out there in 2022. It is not a monster or a zombie, but out in front of you, in this New Year is your destiny, your purpose, your future. God has given you a gift to be alive to continue to pursue what God has for you. It will not be easy to grasp but it will be worth it. God has a plan for your life and this year you are able to be one step closer to reaching that goal.
So don’t be afraid you were built for this. You are made in the image of God and that means you have strength and power within you to guide you. Do not let fear drive you this year. Instead, be driven by faith. Trust God in all things and you will discover all of the great things God has for you this year. So, start that business, get back in school, apply for that position, start exercising, begin that diet, write that book, forgive yourself, let go of your past, and say YES today. There is something out there and I’m going to get it!
God Bless You,
Pastor Cox
1/2/21