A Gentle Tongue

December 10, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Trust

A Gentle Tongue

A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15:4‬ ‭

Choice Words

Words have power. Our words have the power to heal or crush. Positive and encouraging words can build up a person and negative and degrading words will tear them down. We must choose your words wisely.

People need to hear the truth but there is a positive and constructive process to do so. Sometimes our words come out hateful and unkind and are received as criticism. We must be careful to always be alert to what we are say and what kind of tone we say them in. Hurtful words are unforgettable. People will always remember the negative things you say. Right now you probably remember something negative that was said to you years ago. This is why it is important to use our words wisely.

The old saying, “if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all” is a very good rule to follow. If we only speak true and positive words in a positive tone the outcome will be positive. We must build each other up and encourage one another in the Lord. Jesus never said anything that was untrue or derogatory. His words were always right and right on time. We must learn to control our speech. It takes much practice but it is possible. We will never be perfect but we can strive for perfection. Your words will have a great effect on people whether you like it or not. Even when you need to give constructive advice you can do it in a positive and encouraging way. Just be sure to pray before you speak. The Lord will give you the right words to say at the right time.

Prayer

Lord, let Your Spirit control my words and allow me to speak the truth with courage.

The Prayer Of Faith

September 14, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Faith, Trust

The Prayer Of Faith

And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
James 5:15

The Cure For Spiritual Weakness

There are times in our life when we can become spiritually sick. Just as our physical bodies get sick with a virus or an infection our faith can also become weak and feeble. We can take an antibiotic for our bodies to help fight infections but what do we do when we are spiritually sick? Is there a prescription for spiritual weakness?

We must understand that there are seasons in life when we are faithful and strong and then there are times when our faith is weak. It’s during these times of weak faith when we are most vulnerable. This is when we quit reading and studying our Bible and we don’t pray as much as we did before. This is what James is referring to in James 5:13-18. He is writing to Believers who have been persecuted and are at their point of giving up and giving in. It takes a lot of strength to stay spiritually strong in our walk with the Lord. Jesus never promised us that it would be easy. However, James gives great advice for us to get spiritually healed.

The first step of spiritual healing is to recognize that you are sick and weak. Until you recognize your spiritual condition, nothing will change. The second step is to surround yourself with strong, spiritual people. These are the ones whose faith is so strong that it rubs off on others. Everyone needs a strong faithful person in their life. Third, you need to rely on the Holy Spirit to nourish your mind and soul through the Word of God. God wants to restore you to be the person He has called you to be. Stay strong and be encouraged.

Prayer

If you are spiritually weak pray for God to send you someone who can lift you up in faith and encouragement. If you are spiritually strong, pray for God to help you find someone who is weak and help them get back to where they need to be.

Into A Pit

August 23, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Faith, Trust

Into A Pit

So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. And they took him and threw him into a pit.
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭37:23-24‬a

No Way Out

Joseph was a victim of circumstances. He told his family about the dreams he had of them all bowing down before him. His brothers were jealous and his father showed him favoritism by giving him a special colorful robe to wear. He was eleventh in line of inheritance but the first son of Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel. No doubt Joseph was hated by his brothers and getting rid of him was their choice of action. Instead of killing him they all agreed to throw him into a waterless pit. He didn’t stay in the pit long though before he was sold to a passing caravan of Ishmaelites and then sold into Egyptian slavery.

God had a special plan and purpose for Joseph. He was treated harshly for simply sharing about the dreams he was given. Sometimes we find ourselves in a pit just like Joseph. We simply mind our own business and evil things happen to us while we don’t deserve them. This is the reality of life. As we live in an evil world, evil things will happen to good people. The most important thing we can do is keep our head up and our minds on Christ. Even though we cannot control some of our circumstances, we can control our attitude and behavior. We can keep shining the light of Jesus as we suffer so others will see Jesus in us.

God might have you in pit right now for a reason. If you find yourself in a bad situation make sure to make the best of the situation by keeping a positive attitude and pointing others to Christ.

Prayer

Lord, I pray my life will be an example for others to see who You are and to show Your glory and grace.