Pastor Stephen Dedman

Are You Looking To Jesus?

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
Philippians 3:10

What is your number one goal for today? If your aim and focus is pointed toward knowing Jesus, you will not be let down or disappointed. Knowing Jesus more everyday should be our top priority.

To hit the target that God has for our life, we must narrow our focus to the one thing that changes everything. For a long time Saul (Paul) was aiming at the wrong target. But the day that he encountered Jesus, everything changed. His focus was then set on Jesus. It was truly transformational.

Paul narrowed his focus to one thing. He said, “that I may know Jesus.” Paul didn’t just want to know about Jesus, he wanted to pursue Jesus with his whole heart, mind and soul. That one experience on the road to Damascus is all it took. One look at Jesus changed his life.

Paul’s aim was to know Jesus in a personal relationship. The closer we are to Jesus the more we can be more like Jesus. Jesus wants us to be like Him. He wants us to love like He loves. He wants us to look at Him.

What are you focussed on today? What are you aiming for? When your aim is to know Jesus, it takes the pressure off trying to achieve some particular goal or end. 

Life is a joyful journey when shared with Jesus. Every circumstance is an opportunity to know Jesus in a more meaningful way. Are you looking for Jesus in every circumstance?

Peace replaces stress and faith overcomes our fears. He strengthens our weaknesses and turns our troubles into triumphs. 

The more you know Jesus the more you experience His great love and grace!

Pray

Lord, I desire to see You work in my life. Let me focus on what is most important and that is experiencing You in a new a fresh way. My focus is on You.

No More Excuses

But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8:22‬

Jesus encountered a disciple who wanted to follow Him but needed to go home and take care of some business first.  Regardless of the situation, Jesus commanded an immediate response and obedience.  Jesus knew the heart of this man and what was happening in his personal life.  

The man had good intentions but wanted to collect his inheritance. Jesus was basically saying you can’t have one foot in the mission field and one foot in the world. Jesus wants His followers to be all in.

Jesus is not saying that we are to neglect our families and friends but instead He is prompting immediate action.  Either this man was being greedy and waiting for his part of the inheritance or this man valued his family more than Christ.  Regardless, Jesus instructed the disciple to follow Him right then.

Many of us have excuses of why we can’t serve the Lord to the fullest right now.  We may only get one opportunity for certain tasks and if we don’t immediately obey we will miss out on a great blessing.  The Lord wants us to be available to be used by Him on His timing.  Don’t get caught up in the luxury and power of this world only to miss an opportunity to serve the Lord.

What excuses are you using to keep from whole-heartily serving Christ? What would Jesus say about your excuses?

Pray

Lord, You have my heart and soul.  Show me where I need to be in complete obedience to your plans for my life. Help me to not use any excuses for not serving You.

God Loves You

The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31:3‬

This is a beautiful passage of Scripture. It is primarily directed towards the people of Israel and how God has loved them with an everlasting love. It states that the Lord will certainly fulfill His promise to regather His chosen people back together as a chosen people.

It is a reminder that His love for them is everlasting. The Lord chose the people of Israel to be His special people. 

He redeemed them from Egyptian bondage and provided for them while wandering in the wilderness. Even in times of rebellion and unbelief, God never rejected them. Although there were times of discipline, He always restored them to a position of honor because He loved them so much. 

This is the love story told all through the Bible. It’s His story of how He loves His special people unconditionally. No one can ever fathom how much love He has for us. 

There may be times when you may feel that you are not loved, but be certain that God loves you. His love for you is everlasting just like the Israelites. We may go through times of rebellion and unbelief, but God never turns His back on us. No one will ever love you like God loves you. He doesn’t just say it, He proves it everyday. 

Pray

Lord, I love you. I am thankful for your unending love for me. As I show love toward others, let them sense your love.