Pastor Stephen Dedman

Latest Posts

Tell Them What God Has Done

Encouragement, Faith

‘However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” ‘
Mark 5:19

Have you every hesitated telling others about how you met the Lord? We should be quick to tell others about the great and wonderful things that God has done in our life.

The story of Mark 5:1-20 details a dramatic miracle of Jesus delivering a man of demons and casting them into a heard of swine. On that day two thousand demon possessed pigs squealed down the mountain and drowned into the sea.

The miracle angered the local pig farmers and Jesus was forced to leave. As Jesus got into the boat the man who was once possessed begged to go with Him but Jesus wouldn’t allow it. Instead Jesus instructed him to go home and tell his family and friends about his miraculous deliverance.

Later in chapter 6 Jesus returned and was gladly welcomed back. Because the man told everyone about the great things the Lord had done Jesus was able to perform other great miracles. There is power in sharing with others what the Lord has done for each of us. Never be ashamed to share what the Lord has done. You never know what kind of impact it could make.

Pray

Lord, put someone in my path today that I can share my story with them. Thank You for doing so many good things in my life. Help me to never be ashamed to speak of Your goodness.

He Came Home

Encouragement, Faith, Salvation

“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”
Luke‬ ‭15:20‬

The parable of the lost son spoken by Jesus is probably one of the most popular parables. It’s a story of a son who left home with his father’s inheritance and squandered it all in sinful living.

After he came to his senses and humbly went home to where he was received with open arms and lots of love. What a great redemptive story.

While this parable is loaded with truth about God’s grace and how He is our Heavenly Father and He is waiting for anyone to come to Him, there is something special here in this passage for us all to receive.

The picture that is presented in this verse is a welcoming Father who still wants a relationship with His child even though he has lived rebelliously. God never turns His back on His own. God will never reject someone that belongs to Him.

God loves you and will not let anything come between you and Him. You may turn your back to God, but He is still right where He once was.

After the lost son returned home, his father gave a big party for everyone to celebrate with him. Then the father gave his son a the best robe, placed a ring on his finger, and put shoes on his feet.

This is a symbol of the love of a caring father. The father wanted his son to know he was loved unconditionally. This is how we are to show love and support to people around us, especially those who we call “brothers and sisters” in Christ.

Pray

Lord, thank you for receiving me just as I am. Thank you for loving me and welcoming me as you do so well. You clothe me and set me apart for your glory.

Praise The Lord With Every Breath

Encouragement

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:6

It is estimated that the average person takes 23,000 breaths every day. Every breath you take matters. If we were to stop breathing… death is near.

A dear friend of mine got really sick with Covid at the beginning of this year. He told me he had a really hard time breathing. He said he had to think about each breath he took. He had to concentrate on inhaling and exhaling.

Sometimes we don’t consider the necessity of breathing until we can’t. Sometimes we don’t even realize that we are breathing because we don’t have to think about it. We just do it, naturally.

Here is the point of today’s message. We are given 23,000 opportunities to praise the Lord. We should praise God for every breath He gives us.

Let’s praise the Lord for every breath we take and with every breath let’s praise the Lord!

Do you praise the Lord 23,000 times a day? With the mindset of praising God for giving us our next breath we can. But don’t wait until you can’t breathe to be thankful for each breath.

Take a deep breath right now and consider what happens when your lungs fill with air (oxygen) and you exhale the converted air (carbon dioxide). The 3 to 5 seconds that it took to breathe in and breathe out is amazing. The oxygen you inhale contains vital nutrients for blood to carry nutrients throughout your body to live.

Interestingly enough, you exhale carbon dioxide that provides sufficient nutrients for plants to survive. And in return plants give off oxygen for humans to survive. God works in mysterious ways!

How many times you can praise the Lord today?

Pray

Lord, thank You for every breath I take. Thank You for the clean air that I breathe and the plants that provide oxygen for me to breathe. Help me to realize that every breath I take matters and is an opportunity to praise You.