Pastor Stephen Dedman

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Jesus Knows

Encouragement

‘But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” ‘
Luke 5:5

Have you ever failed at something that you were good at? Do you remember that feeling of failure and frustration?

No one knows how to help you in times of discouragement like Jesus does. He will not just encourage you to do better next time, instead, He gives you a recipe for victory.

Peter was cleaning up after an all night fishing failure. It wasn’t like he had just caught a few fish; he had nothing, and he was a profession. There was nothing to show for his effort. He was ready to throw in the towel and give up. Needless to say, what he needed was a victory.

Jesus could have said to Peter, “Don’t worry about it. You’ll be in a different line of work soon.” Instead, Jesus instructed him to launch back out into the deep and let the nets down. That sounds crazy! A carpenter instructing a skilled professional fisherman where and how to catch fish! But even crazier was the fact that they caught so many fish that the nets were breaking and they had to call for help to carry in the weight of so many fish.

This is how Jesus works in our life. He will take us right back to where we were unsuccessful in order to build us back up. The problem may have been that you were relying on your own strength and understanding and He wanted you to rely and trust in Him. We must learn from our faults and failures so that next time we will experience victory in the supernatural, spiritual strength of God.

Pray

Lord, I know that I need Your help and Your strength. Comfort me with Your Holy Spirit and show me what to do next. Your ways and plans are much better than mine and I will follow Your lead.

A Transformed Heart

Encouragement

‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ‘ Ezekiel 36:26

Your attitude towards God comes directly from your heart. At the moment of salvation when the Holy Spirit comes into your life, your heart is permanently transformed. God’s greatest desire is to see that His people love Him with all of their hearts.

Apart from the cleaning work of the Holy Spirit of God, our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). In Psalm 51, David prayed that God would cleanse him and create in him a clean heart (Psalm 51:10). Jesus said we are blessed when our hearts are made pure (Matthew 5:8).

We know that sin hardens our heart the more we sin. The longer we hold on to unconfessed sin the harder our hearts become. Even to the point when people around us can tell a difference in our demeanor.

Sometimes we go through seasons when our hearts grow cold and we become desensitized to the important things of God. Much of the time we have a feeling of despair or “I don’t care”. The good news is that the Holy Spirit can change our hearts and soften our heart of stone.

Make sure to check your heart’s condition today. If your love for God and others is not what it should be then you should ask Him to renew your heart and restore your devotion to Him.

Pray

Lord, there are things that are not right in my heart and I need Your help. Change my heart and help me to love like You love. Set my heart on fire for the things that are important to You.

The Cost Of Freedom

Faith, Trust

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:13‬

Since America’s struggle for independence from Britain till today, countless men and women have answered the call of duty to serve in the U.S. military.  They have performed a tremendous service that cannot be repaid.

Some have made the ultimate sacrifice… giving their life for the cause of freedom.  They gave their life so others may live.

Maybe you are the loved one or a friend of someone who has died for our country. If so, you too, have made a sacrifice that many cannot imagine.

Jesus recognized such a sacrifice in John 15:13 when he said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” The

On this Memorial Day, let’s remember the courageous men and women who have given their lives to ensure our freedom. May their patriotism and their love for God and country inspire us to do something selfless for our fellow man. 

Let us never forget the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross at Calvary. Jesus ultimately set us free from the bondage of sin. Through His death and resurrection we can live confidently knowing that we inherit eternal life in Heaven.

Have you thanked God for giving us Jesus? Have you thanked God for giving us men and women who boldly serve our country? We are blessed by God to live in a country with liberty and justice for all.

Pray

Lord, we thank You for giving us our freedom. You love us so much that You sent Your Son to die for us. Your precious gift of salvation is the greatest blessing of all.