Fee Fee Baptist Church

Tag: Devotional

  • Heart of Worship – Vol. 62, No. 22

    As we are coming into the Thanksgiving season, we generally think of all the things we have to be thankful for. It is normal to look around us and see all the physical things that can lead to a heart of thanksgiving. However, this year, I encourage you to look at all the spiritual aspects of your life, and praise God for all those ways He has blessed you!

    Psalm 103:1-5 says, “My soul, bless the Lord, and all that is within me, bless His holy Name. My soul, bless the Lord, and do not forget all His benefits. He forgives all your iniquity; He heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the pit; He crowns you with faithful love and compassion.” Through Jesus, we have been redeemed, forgiven, and healed. His faithful love surrounds us, and His compassion overflows towards us. These few verses are just a portion of a Bible FILLED with so many ways the Lord has blessed us in the spiritual realm.

    Now I want us to focus on a portion of those verses: My soul, bless the Lord, and do not forget all His benefits. Sometimes it is easy to forget all the wonderful gifts God has given us. But here we see the Bible reminds us not to forget them! I challenge you to renew your mind to all the spiritual blessings you have through Christ. This season through our worship, let’s embrace a heart of thanksgiving to our God and all the spiritual gifts He has bestowed upon us.

  • Heart of Worship – Vol. 62, No. 20

    Hi Church! My name is Melissa Eberts, and I’m the worship leader in the 11:00 a.m. service on Sundays. In this new column called, “Heart of Worship,” I will talk about how we can grow our relationship with God through worship. An act of worship can mean many things, and for this issue let’s look at our posture toward God. Psalm 139:1-3 says, “Lord, you have examined me and know all about me. You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know my thoughts before I think them. You know where I go and where I lie down. You know everything I do.” Our Creator, the One who made us, knows everything about us! He not only knows us, but He loves us and wants a relationship with us!

    I challenge you to think about this question today: In light of knowing how He feels about me, how do I respond to Him? What is my posture towards Him? In our heart of worship towards our Father, is our posture towards Him? Are we willing to be vulnerable to the One who already knows everything about us already? Are we willing to give of our time, money, praise and ultimately our lives? Let’s go where He wants us to go, give what He wants us to give, and be who He’s called us to be!

  • Devotional Corner – Vol. 62, No. 19

    From Bob Goff’s “Live In Grace, Walk In Love: A 365-Day Journey”

    “Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples,” (Luke 14:33).

    The Bible tells us about an extraordinary practice in ancient Israel called the Year of Jubilee. This came around once every fifty years, and it was a time when all slaves and prisoners were set free and every debt was forgiven. God set it up for the people of Israel because He wanted to communicate in a human way what His mercy was like, and it looked like freedom for everyone no matter their burden or debt.

    Everyone’s debts were different. I bet some were only short fifty dollars and some owed what would be millions. The point of the celebration was to say God’s mercy wipes all our debts clean, whether we’ve blown it in big ways or just failed to show up when it mattered. It’s all the same in God’s economy.

    Each of us starts in a different place when we choose to follow Jesus. The debts we owe reflect the different lives we’ve lived. The cost of discipleship looks different from person to person. Some of us have to give up our need to be the center of attention, and some of us need the courage to find our voices. What feels like a sacrifice to you might come naturally to your neighbor. They’re just facing a different kind of battle.

    Following Jesus costs each of us something different, but mercy looks the same for all of us. It looks like God letting us off the hook for the ways we’ve fallen short and celebration for all of us because Jesus covered the cost.—

  • Devotional Corner – Vol. 62, No. 18

    “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father,” (John 14:12).

    All the great heroes I know have been ordinary people. They didn’t run countries, and they don’t have museums named after them. They’re moms, dads, and teenagers who saw a need in the people around them and did what they could to meet those needs.

    When I think of heroes, I think of people like Dorothy Day, who lived among the poor so she could better serve them, and my friend John, who started an organization to train governments in other countries on how to end human trafficking.

    I think of Mother Teresa, who held people as they breathed their last in Calcutta, allowing them to die with dignity, and I think of my friend Jeff, who uses his gift with words to make people fee less alone. Even the famous ones tried to stay under the radar.

    Heroes come in every age and size. Sometimes they’re household name, and sometimes they’re unknown. But what binds them together is this: they heard about a need in the world, and they figured out how to use whatever they could to alleviate the suffering in other people.

    We don’t need more degrees or status to change the world. We only need eyes to see a need and a faith that believes in redemption. Jesus wouldn’t have said we’d do greater things than Him if He didn’t think we could do it. Stop listening to the voices saying you can’t make a difference, and start listening to the One telling you He wants you to take your next step. What’s your next step?—

  • Devotional Corner – Vol. 62, No. 17

    From Bob Goff’s “Live In Grace, Walk In Love: A 365-Day Journey”

     “What do you think?” (Matthew 21:28).

    There are plenty of voices in the world who present their opinions like they’re solid fact. People tell us which food are healthiest, which companies are ethical, and the best way to raise our kids. These same people are also prone to tell us what to believe in our faith. I think that’s why so many people hesitate to go to church or start exploring what it means to follow Jesus. The faithful seem to have developed a fear of admitting to having any questions marks in their faith. This always seemed strange to me for a religion that says faith is all about finding answers. We should all have a long list of questions. Jesus passed right by the people who acted like they had all the answers and found some fishermen who didn’t have any. These are the people He uses to change the world.

    Jesus showed us how comfortable He was with questions. He asked more than three hundred of them. He used them when people asked Him things, and it made the religious types squirm.

    He demonstrated how faith isn’t just about subscribing to a doctrine or a lifestyle. What was going on in the heart was just as important as all the information in the head.

    When people questioned why Jesus and His friends weren’t sticking to a tradition, He shot back one of His own questions: “Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matthew 15:3). Don’t hold your faith like an answer sheet; embrace what you don’t quite get, let people know what you’re wondering about, and you’ll find more of God there than in any catchphrase. You’ll connect with a lot more people that way too.

    No one’s going to believe any of our answers if we don’t let them know we have a couple of questions too.

    What questions are forming in your heart today? —

  • Devotional Corner – Vol. 62, No. 16

    From Bob Goff’s “Live In Grace, Walk In Love: A 365-Day Journey”

    “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid,” (John 14:27).

    When I was a boy, comic books came onto the scene and started to get big. Characters like Spiderman, Batman, and Wonder Woman lived in a world where evil popped up just in time for another episode. No matter which sinister villain seemed to be giving evil an edge, the hero was always more powerful than the obstacles in front of them. Evil has a way of looking like it’s going to win—right up until it doesn’t.

    While these comics were fantastical, every enduring story reminds us of a truth: even when it seems like hope has lost the lead, redemption is where the story is headed. Just before Jesus went away for a while, He told us we would face trouble in this world. He said there would be times we’d want to give up and seek comfort somewhere else.

    But Jesus also told us He would be with us and not even death could separate us from Him. He’s living proof that the God of the universe is more powerful than any of the obstacles we face. The obstacles look different for each of us, but we live in a world where fear shows up unannounced and tries to steal our hope. Those are the times we have to remember the power accessible to us.

    Are you in a difficult time? Love will show you the way through it. Do you feel like you’re up against seemingly unbeatable forces? Remember love will win in the end. Our hope isn’t in our ability to overcome but in God’s ability to redeem it.

    Don’t’ let the circumstances you’re facing do all the talking. Listen to the God who already won it all with His love. As you listen to God speak into your difficult time, what do you hear Him saying?

  • Devotional Corner – Vol. 62, No. 13

    From Billy Graham’s Daily Devotion Archive

    “Lord, grant us peace; for all we have and are has come from you,” (Isaiah 26:12 TLB).

    We who once marveled at the telegraph now take for granted the far greater miracle of television. Not so long ago many of the physical diseases were termed hopeless and incurable. Today we have drugs so effective that age-old diseases are becoming rare. We have accomplished much, of that there is no doubt. But with all this progress, we have not solved the basic problem of the human race. We can build the highest buildings, the fastest ships, the longest bridges—but we still can’t govern ourselves, or live together peacefully and with equality.

    Prayer for the day: In loving and being loved by You, there is all I have longed for, my Savior, Jesus Christ.

  • Devotional Corner – Vol. 62, No. 12

    From Billy Graham’s Daily Devotion Archive

    “Love one another, as I have loved you,” (John 15:12).

    As I study the subject of “separation” in the Old and New Testaments, I discover that the weight of Scripture lies in the direction of fellowship rather than separation. What is the great overwhelming evidence that we have passed from death unto life? It is love! Jesus Christ clearly was speaking of visible unity, such as can be seen by the world. His motive for praying was that the world might believe and the world might know. He prayed for unity among believers. God, who wills man’s unity in Christ, is a God of variety. So often we want everyone to be the same—to think and speak and believe as we do. Many Scripture passages could be called to witness that love is the real key to Christian unity. In the spirit of true humility, compassion, consideration, and unselfishness, we are to approach our problems, our work, and even our differences.

    Prayer for the day: In a world needing Your love, let me not judge those who love You too. You have made us all so different, Father. Teach me, by Your loving Holy Spirit, compassion and true unity.

  • Footsteps of the Faithful – Vol. 62, No. 8

    Kathy Scott, Director of Children & Family Ministries

    I’m so glad God offers complete forgiveness, aren’t you? It is so precious to receive forgiveness. Have you experienced that? Have you ever asked for forgiveness and felt complete release?

    Recently, I made a comment to my husband that was unkind. I walked around the house loudly for a while before I made the comment but didn’t feel any better after I said it. The day went on and I tried to convince myself I was justified for what I said but still had that nagging feeling that it wasn’t right nor was it true. Once I apologized, what a relief I felt. My soul felt light. I knew Joe would forgive me, and of course, he did. We both felt a new closeness for being obedient to the Father. There have also been times I have had to apologize to my children because my anger got the best of me. That is really humbling to ask your children for forgiveness! But our God commands us to seek forgiveness (Matthew 6:12).

    Is there someone you need to forgive for something they said or did? Or is there forgiveness you need to ask from someone? God is ready to hear you ask forgiveness. What a relief it will be for you. It will repair a relationship and get rid of that barrier between the person or between you and the Father. Psalm 32:1 says, “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” Another favorite quote by Blackaby says, “Few things are more precious to receive than forgiveness.”

  • Devotional Corner – Vol. 62, No. 8

    Taken from Corrie Ten Boom’s “Faith, Hope, and Love” YouVersion Plan

    “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God,” (Hebrews 12:2).

    How we can long for the “good old days”. Everything was so much better and more predictable. What was normal and taken for granted in those days is not that obvious anymore. It could make us sad and homesick, and we could tend to give up and become passive and depressed. In Ezra 3, we can read that the elderly people are crying as the temple is rebuilt, remembering the glory and grandeur of the former temple that has been destroyed so many years ago.

    After World War II Corrie could have been discouraged, giving up, without any hope for the future. Her father, Casper ten Boom, and her sister, Betsie, both had been killed in 1944. And the happy days of before, in their warm and cozy home, had forever been gone. She could have looked back, remembering and longing for the good old, and so much better times before the war. Realizing it would never come back she could have sunk into a great depression and sorrow. But instead, she looked forward with hope, fixing her eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of her faith.

    Hope is not the same as longing and desiring. We can long for things that are impossible to fulfill, such as, a season that will not come back, a journey we cannot afford to make, longing for a loved one who has passed away. Hope, on the contrary is based on reliable facts. There could have been periods and events in our life for which we look back with unfulfilled, craving and longing. But the better thing to do is to look forward, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Then we can go forward, with courage and hope. That is what Corrie, and many with her, did after the war, building on the foundation of Christ and His Kingdom. Romans 5:5 says: “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us”.