Pastor Stephen Dedman

Latest Posts

Are You Dead To Sin?

Encouragement, Trust

‘What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? ‘
Romans 6:1-2

As a Christian, you died to sin. Temptations will be present but sin does not have control over you. You can still sin, but you are no longer under sin’s power. The victory over sin’s dominion was won on the cross at Calvary. The victory is won!

God’s grace is our motivation to resist sin. It was grace that led God to forgive our sin despite our rebellion against Him. Knowing this grace, we cannot continue to practice sin. You’re dead to sin.

God does not have to win a victory over your sin. He already has by sending Jesus to die in your place. You only need to apply His victory in each area of your life. If there is a sinful habit or an unrighteous relationship that needs to be dissolved, you just need to claim the victory of Christ’s saving power.

Do you have an ungodly attitude or a sinful habit? Do you have an unrighteous relationship that needs to end? What is keeping you from experiencing God’s the abundant life that God intends for you to live?

So many times we find ourselves disappointed because of our sin. While we should be convicted, we should never think that sin has that kind of power over us. Experience the victory of Jesus today that gives you the power over all things and live the abundant life that God intends for you.

Pray

Lord, I want to experience the great victory of my sin and shame. I want to know You and live out what You intend to be good for me. Help me to keep my mind on You.

Will You Rest Today?

Encouragement, Trust

“Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.”
Luke 23:56

One of the most forgotten of the Ten Commandments is the command to “rest.” As Jesus’ body laid in the tomb, it’s a great reminder that we are to rest just as God did. After God incarnate declared, “it is finished,” He honored the Sabbath once more just as He had at the beginning of creation. In the tomb, God rested. 

Have we forgotten the command to rest? For the Jews, the Sabbath was a day to rest and not do any kind of work. The laws were very strict of what one could do on the Sabbath. For example, women were not permitted to look into a mirror lest they be tempted to pluck hair, which would cause her to break the law.

Remember, the word Sabbath means rest. 

After Jesus was crucified, He was wrapped in burial cloth and laid in a borrowed tomb. Nothing is said about what happened between Friday night and Sunday morning because it was a day of rest so nothing happened. Jesus could have arose from the dead on Saturday but He didn’t. His body laid in rest. 

Christians honor Sunday as a day to rest and worship. But do you allow it to be a day of rest and worship? Is God satisfied with how we rest and worship?

God worked six days and then rested on the seventh. He commanded His people to rest. But in today’s modern world we don’t honor this commandment like we should. Let’s honor God and do as He commands. Let’s rest and worship the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. 

Pray

‭Lord, I honor You and keep Your Commandments in my heart. You have blessed me and I in return honor You. 

Do Your Problems Control Your Life?

Encouragement, Trust

‘I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.’
Psalms 16:8

What you focus on the most will dominate your life. If you continually focus on your problems guess what? Your problems will determine the direction of your life. But if you choose to focus on Christ and put Him first, He will be your guide.

The Holman Christian Standard Version says, “I keep the Lord in mind always.” This gives us a better understanding. It means that you choose to relate everything you encounter to your trust in the Lord. No matter what we face we can trust that God already has the outcome or the solution at hand.

The person who is at the “right hand” is considered the most powerful position of influence. Because the Lord is at “my right hand”, the Psalmist says, I will not be moved or shaken. This speaks in terms of security because the Lord is at our right hand and there is no need to worry.

Have you positioned Christ to stand beside you, to guide you, and to protect you? It takes a personal relationship with Jesus to put Him in the most important position in your life. If the Lord be for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?

What is controlling your life? Is it your problems or your faith in God?

Pray

Lord, I choose to put You first in my life. I position You at my right hand. You are my Strength and my Defender.