Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: jesus

Stephen Dedman

Do You Worship, Part 1

Encouragement, Trust

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.”
‭‭John‬ ‭4:23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What type of worshipper are you? Jesus said, God, the Father, is seeking for “true” worshippers to worship Him in spirit and truth. Are you a “true” worshipper? True worship is not about having a talented voice. It’s not about singing contemporary or traditional songs. It’s not about raising your hands, standing, or dancing. So what are the marks of a true worshipper? What is God looking for in a true worshipper?

Jesus said the greatest commandment is this, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”‭‭ (Matthew‬ ‭22:37‬) A true worshipper is one who praises God, in good times and bad, one who rejoices from their heart with gladness and joy, and knows that God is deserving of all honor; heart, soul, and mind. That means true worship is more than a church service and more than a concert. Don’t take me the wrong way, we do worship God in church services, through gospel singings, and in Christian concerts. But there is more to true worship than what we do on Sunday.

True worshippers worship God through their jobs. They serve others with their talents and gifts. True worshippers are found in the operating rooms, in restaurants, on construction sites, on the sales floor, in the back office, answering phones, delivering products, and cleaning toilets. They worship in court rooms, classrooms, in offices, at home, on the highways, behind closed doors, and out in the field. It doesn’t matter what you do or where you do it, as long as you glorify God through it.

We can worship through serving others, giving of our talents and time, and loving those around us. God is seeking true worshippers. Do you wake up with a song on your lips? Do you praise God when things go wrong? Is honoring God with all that you have a priority? True worshippers get God’s attention.

Lord, I lift my voice to the Heavens to praise your holy name. I honor you with all that you have blessed me with. May you receive the glory in all that I do.

Daily Devotional
Stephen Dedman

Living Large

Encouragement, Trust

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Apostle Paul lived his life to the fullest. He had a passion and purpose that was out of this world. His passion was strengthened with love and his purpose was unyielded with determination. He lived for Christ.

If we were to live everyday like Paul we would be living large. Everyday would be to glorify God in all that we do. As a Christian, we should be motivated and excited about the things that pleases Jesus.

However, we have a worldly problem that keeps us grounded from living large. Sometimes we live for ourselves or for other people. We tend to please ourselves and others more than we please the Lord. We can all admit we have been there.

Let me ask you, are you living large for Christ? Are you pleasing Jesus in all that you do? Are you living life to the fullest like Paul?

I want to encourage you through today’s scripture verse to live large for Christ. Start today being excited and motivated to serve and love others like Christ does. I pray you receive in return the joy of the Lord.

Daily Devotional


Merry Christmas

Faith, Trust

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of he only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

God With Us

The birth of Jesus was a miraculous event not just because He was born of a virgin but because God became a man and came to this place called Earth. Matthew 1:23 says, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us). When Jesus was born the greatest blessing of all time was witnessed and some didn’t even realize that He was God. As we read through the Gospels we realize that a few knew that Jesus was God’s Son or God in the flesh. As John says, “we have seen His glory.”

Jesus is the most precious gift anyone can receive. Jesus is God’s gift to mankind. God became flesh so that we as believers may be with Him in Heaven for eternity. God wants to live in your heart and give you an amazing inheritance. Nothing can compare to the gift of receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God came to save you from your sins. Have you invited Him into your life?

On this Christmas day take time to “see” His glory. Look out into His wonderful creation and witness His love towards mankind. The world is full of His majestic glory. Merry Christmas!

Prayer

Lord, we thank you for giving up your place on the throne and coming as a humble servant to die in our place on the cross. Thank you for giving us eternal life.

Daily Devotional