ORANGEjuice

God has spoken to me so clearly this morning. I had a great day yesterday. I battled the “live by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7) battle most of the morning. It is amazing how I can teach on a topic then God puts me to the test. It’s like He says, “Alright big boy let’s see how you are doing on this topic.” I am glad I had just been teaching on it again in my Sunday School class. Our attendance was down yesterday due to a few different factors: Mother’s Day, Air Show, Graduation, pretty weather, etc. So as I looked out in the parking lot during Sunday School the devil started that live based on what you see thing. I was a battle for me but I believe the promises of God won out.

After church, Mary Anne and I, Jeremy and Krista Dyer, Christy Wise and her sons Alex and Mason went out to East Tuscaloosa and gave out brown bag lunches to about 50 people (there numbers were down also). It was good to help folks. I had a man about 55 come up to me and said he helped paint the Family Life Center. He began to cry and asked me to pray for his mom who had just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Her name is Mable if you would like to pray for her now. We prayed together and I watched this grown man walk away crying for his mom get on his bike and ride away. He was why I was to be there. It was not about a certain number of people. It was about one man yesterday.

Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Phil 2:12–13 (ESV)

It is our job to work out (v12) what God has worked in (v12). You ministry opportunities this week might be to a crowd or to one man on a bike. Work it out. Obey in the moment. Go ahead and make the commitment to Christ that you will walk in obedience today by the moment. Don’t worry about tonight or tomorrow. Work it out in the moment.

Christ has been raise so nothing you do for Him is in vain. (ESV) “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:14).

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:57–58 (ESV).