Pastor Chuck's Blog

The Wisdom to Make It Through

Ecclesiastes 2:26 says, "To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness."  Peyton has an end-of-year event the last week of school that all of the students are looking forward to.  He had to turn in $15 by the end of this week in order to attend it.  Nita and I both had no cash in our wallets this morning.  We were rushing to get ready to leave in time enough to swing by a teller machine to get Peyton the money he needed.  Suddenly, it hit me.  Katie has allowance money saved up in her room.  We could get the money from her and just go by the bank later and repay her this evening.  Nita called Katie in the room and asked her for the money.  She thought for a second or two and then agreed to go get it.  We were worried she would change her mind when she found out it wasn't for us but rather for her brother.  But she didn't mind at all.  She handed the money over.  She knew that she was helping her parents out.  A special bonus was that she was helping her brother out.  She was truly cheerful about her giving.  That made me feel really good.  She made a good decision this morning.  As I was spending time with the Lord this morning I was reminded that those who have the Holy Spirit resident in their daily lives do not necessarily make wise decisions or automatically produce wise actions.  It is one thing to know the right thing to do and a totally different thing to actually DO what is the right thing to do.  Proverbs 2:6 says, "The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding."  We must make a conscious effort to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in wisdom when making decisions and actively live out our lives.  To walk wisely, we have to continually ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the wisdom in every area of every challenge, difficult, or opportunity that comes our way.  I watched Katie do that very thing this morning.  Fifteen dollars to an eight year old that has saved that money over many weeks is a huge thing.  I'm proud of her.  And I'm proud to serve a God that provides for us the wisdom to make it through.

Your Grace Still Amazes Me

God Loves You, So You Should Love You Too

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Nobody can make you feel interior without your consent."  We took the kids to see the Avengers movie over the weekend.  For next couple of days, I saw traits of each super hero in each of our kids.  Katie was quick to try out some of those moves on her brother.  The kids asked me which super hero I liked best.  I told them "Captain America."  They asked why.  I told them in the movie Captain America made the statement, "There is only one God, and I'm sure He didn't dress like that!"  (Referring to Thor, another super hero.)  I loved it.  He won my heart at that moment.  Anyway, the movie made me go back in time to my childhood.  Then it was Superman, Spider Man, and Wonder Woman.  But I had picked out who I wanted to be like just like the kids did after seeing this movie.  I believe there are many of us roaming around today still searching for our "super hero."  We're still trying to find someone to "be like."  I believe this is a really big mistake.  Sure, we can see traits and characteristics in others that we think are positive and would like to be more like.  But when you get to the point that you have to look like, act like, speak like, sing like, work like, and live like someone else, you've gone too far.  When you do that, you are in essence degrading yourself and telling yourself that you are not good enough the way God created you.  There is nothing more contrary to God's Word than that.  You were created in His image.  He knows every hair on your head.  He knows every tear that you shed.  He knows every thought that comes into your mind before it ever gets there.  If God, the Almighty, the Creator of Universe loves you that much, why wouldn't you love yourself?  I don't mean in an egotistical or arrogant way.  That's pride and the Scriptures are really clear on the outcome of someone like that.  But you have to learn to love yourself, just as you are.  God did.  Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that His plan for our future is good and filled with hope.  Jeremiah 31:3 tells us that He loves us with an everlasting and unconditional love.  Psalm 139:17-18 tells us that His thoughts toward us are as countless as the sand on the seashore.  Zephaniah 3:17 tells us that He rejoices over us with singing.  Jeremiah 32:40 tells us that He will never stop doing good to us.  Exodus 19:5 tells us that we are His treasured possession.  God love you more than you could imagine or comprehend.  Today, go out and make a difference in this world with your talents and your skills and your passion.  Don't worry about the other person.  Be who God created you to be.  God loves you, so you should love you too.

Yesterday, Today, or Tomorrow

Alexander Graham Bell once said, "When one door closes, another opens, but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us." My grandmother used to tell me there were only three days in each week. I remember this vividly because I was very young and just learning the days of the week and months of the year. I mentioned Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and so on. She stopped me and said, "There are only three. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And you only need to worry about one of them." I wish I had grasped the wisdom in her words earlier in life. Yesterday is only filled with mistakes, failures, and past cares and concerns. Many times it provides nothing but pain and heartache as we look back at it. Philippians 3:13 says, "…forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…" Isaiah 43:18 also says, "Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past." Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow is just as bad. We worry about everything from relational issues, political issues, financial issues, to personal issues. Matthew 6:34 says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Proverbs 27:1 also says, "Do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth." The only day we should be concerned about is today. And do you know what our main concern about today should be? We can find our answer to that question in Psalm 118:24. "This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it." So, according to my dear grandmother, there are only three day in each week. Which one is consuming you right now? Yesterday, Today, or Tomorrow.

Are You Just Pretending?

A.W. Tozer once said, "The neglected heart will soon be a heart overrun with worldly thoughts; the neglected life will soon become a moral chaos." We're human. A lot of times we get wrapped up in what we see with our human eyesight. We don't take the time to look deeper at things. We take face value and think we have total understanding of a person, situation, or idea. I am so thankful that I serve a God that looks much deeper than the outward appearances. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Each and every one of us have an outer life and an inner life. When the Lord looks within you to the depth of your heart, to that inner life, what exactly does He see? That outer life is what people see of you that is out in public for everyone to observe. The inner life is the more important. It is the attitudes, the motives, and the specific thoughts that go on within you. Truthfully, only you and God know that "inner life." Katie was in the garage the other day pretending to be a teacher. She had stuffed animals in chairs. She was teaching them, scolding them, putting them in the corner, calling on them to answer questions, and any other thing she could think of. She was pretending. In her mind, at that moment, she was a teacher. I believe there are a lot of people around us today that are pretending. The pretend to be happy but on the inside they are hurting. Maybe they are pretending to be friend while talking badly out us when we aren't around. It could be that they are pretending to care when in all actuality, there are totally different thoughts going on in their heads. It's easy to fool people. But mark my words, no one can fool God. God is not a fan of pretending. He is all about keeping it real, truthful, and honest. As I read the scripture this morning and I prayed over it, the Lord prompted me to take a personal inventory of the situation. I'm encouraging you to do the same today. Take an inventory of what is going on inside of you. Are you really at peace or are you just a miserable person pretending to be happy? Have you truly forgiven others or do you constantly bring up things to people that you have failed to forgive and forget? Do you believe the best in people or are you quick to point out and dwell on their shortcomings and imperfections? Simply asked, do your actions line up with your heart? Does your outer life resemble your inner life? Or, are you just pretending?

Are Your Words Producing Actions?

Thomas Brooks once said, "If any man should ask me what is the first, second, and third part of being a Christian, I must answer, 'Action!'" When I think of what God wants to do for me and I reference the scriptures, I truly believe God wants to bless me. Regardless of my shortcomings and my failures, God wants to pour out His love, mercy, and grace on me. I truly believe that. But, if God wants to do that for me, that must mean He wants that for everyone. And if I am called, according to HIS purpose (and not my own), then that must mean that God wants to use me to love and bless others. As a Christ-follower, we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ extended in love to others. 1 John 3:18 says, "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." I love that the Scripture here is very plain in telling us that this love is not just about our words or our thoughts or our intentions. It is about our actions. It is about reaching out and meeting the needs of others. Sometimes you meet a person's need with a simple smile or hug. Other times it is a word of encouragement that you can give the person. At other times, it is a simple prayer. The thing that it is NOT is empty words. We can say we love someone, but if we never speak to them, never communicate with them, never reach out to them, then our actions truly do speak louder than words. The longer I live, the more I almost disregard what people say and I just watch what they do. The Bible says that it's His kindness that causes people to be drawn to Him. If we truly want people drawn to Christ, it is through love that we reach them. Not love of their sin, but love of them inspire of their sin. Today, are your words producing actions?

Defined By Your Actions

It was once said, "You character is not defined by your beliefs. It is defined by your actions." I am a firm believer that relationships are important to God. I think unity is important to God. Obviously there are times that we interact with people of different beliefs. There will be days that you are in the presence of or conversing with someone who doesn't believe the same way you do at all. Even with those who are like-mind, there will be times of disagreement. I've seen and heard a lot in the last twenty-four hours during the elections yesterday in the state of North Carolina. I've seen "Christians" condemning people to hell. I've seen non-Christians stereotyping all Christians as bigots and hateful people. Honestly, I'm saddened by it all. Maybe sickened is a better word. I didn't hear too many Christians praying for "the opposing side" yesterday. I heard a lot professing their beliefs, but no one praying. I heard a lot of people saying they are good people and that they believe in Jesus but "on their own terms." Well, they weren't praying either. If we would all pray instead of argue and fight, there might be more unity. We might be able to reach more people for Christ. I'm not saying water down the gospel. I believe in one man and one woman. I believe in the Biblical perspective, objective, and purpose of marriage. But I also believe in loving the person and hating the sin. Part of me wants to apologize to the non-believers for the way a number of people acted yesterday. One church had on their sign out front that certain groups of people were "going to hell." This wasn't all about homosexuals either. They included skateboarders in their list of "sinners." Skateboarders? Really? You can go to hell for being a skateboarder? I'm honestly speechless. But the Bible isn't. James 5:16 says, "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." Pray for each other. Don't debate. Pray for each other. Don't insult. Pray for each other. According to the scriptures, it "produces wonderful results." Living in peace and unity in no way means sacrificing your beliefs. It doesn't mean you have to agree with others that may have opposing views. It means you reach out to each other, pray for each other (whether they are praying or not) and promote peace in the name of Jesus. When you do that, it opens the door to minister to them. That should be our number one priority. We don't have to "be right" or "win the argument." What we need to do is to reach the person through loving them regardless of their sin. Like the quote says, "You character is not defined by your beliefs. It is defined by your actions."

Even If You Are Slipping, You Will Not Fall

Vernon Paterson once said, "There are always uncertainties ahead, but there is always one certainty – God's will is good." Sometimes I think people are so awestruck at the vastness of the reach of God, His mighty power, and His glory that they believe He is too big to be a close, personal God to them. I get the impression from some that they think God is too busy for them or too preoccupied with other things to care for their every need. While His vastness is amazing and His majesty is glorious, He is very personal to you and near to you as well. God makes the choice to be actively involved in your life. He's a part of all of the trials and the victories that you come against each day of your life. I love how Psalm 94:18-19 reads in The Message. "The minute I said, 'I'm slipping, I'm falling,' Your love, God, took hold and held me fast. When I was upset and beside myself, you calmed me down and cheered me up." That verse describes all of us from time to time. We've all been at a point that we've felt overwhelmed, as if we are falling into a bottomless, dark pit. But we've also experienced the hand of God reaching down, grabbing up, and lifting us up. We've all been anxious over different things, whether warranted or not. It is the comfort of God through the Holy Spirit that calms us down and cheers us up. I don't know where you are today or what you are facing. But, I want you to know that you serve a God that is willing, able, and ready to grab your hand and hold on to you. Even if you are slipping, you will not fall.

When The Dogs Come Attacking

John Greenleaf Whittier once said, "God's providence is not blind, but full of eyes." Yesterday after church, Katie went over to a neighborhood friend's house to play. The fun of playing turned quickly sour as the neighbor's little Boston Terrier attacked Katie. She was bitten several places on her right hand and a couple of places on her face. It naturally terrified her. It also made me want to go kill the dog myself, to be honest. We cleaned her up, got her calmed down, and things seemed to settle. This morning she awoke with lots of pain. Her finger was swollen tremendously and she couldn't do normal things such as getting dressed, combing her hair, or writing with a pencil. As I was helping her comb her hair, with tears in her eyes, she looked at me and asked, "Why did this have to happen to me?" I'm sure we've all been at a place in our lives where we've asked that very question. God, why did you allow this to happen? Do I not matter to you? Why, why, why? We've all been there to some degree. But the truth is that we can easily allow our minds to run in that direction with all of those questions. It's natural. We're human. But we have to remember that NOTHING is more important to God than we are! Psalm 139:17 says, "How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!" Every detail of our lives matters to God. He knows the number of hairs on our heads! He bottles up your tears and holds them close to Himself and counts them as precious. You are important to God and there is nothing too big or too small to Him when it comes to you. Unfortunately, in life you will have to face difficult situations and circumstances. It was hard for me to see my baby girl walk into the house yesterday afternoon crying, holding her hand, and seeing blood running down her arm. But even in the midst of that, God is good. He cares for Katie and will heal Katie. Today, if you find yourself as Katie did this morning, asking why this had to happen to you, let me encourage you to declare over your own life that God's thoughts are precious toward you. You are always on His mind. He loves you and you matter to Him more than your mind can comprehend. If you remember that, your thinking will be transformed and you will feel His love like never before. That love calms the hurt. It heals the injury. It soothes the anger. It refocuses the attention. It provides answers. These are all things we need "when the dogs come attacking."

You Have To Bow Down To Be Raised Up

S. D. Gordon once said, "Prayer strikes the winning blow; service is simply picking up the pieces." I am a firm believer that God is very much aware of all that is going through your mind and on your heart. I believe He is very much concerned about it as well. I also believe He wants to be involved in every single area of your life, regardless of how big or small it may seem to you. A lot of times we find ourselves focused on our external needs. We need food on our tables. We need money in the bank to pay the bills. We need clothing and transportation. While these things are indeed important, and God wants to meet those needs too, sometimes we neglect the internal needs. We always want God to provide a quick fix to whatever we're facing. We want Him to fix it or just take it away. For us to try to dig a little into the our need and find the spiritual level of it all seems to be too much for us. We think it is unnecessary or "too righteous." I don't think God agrees with that at all. Psalm 146:8 says, "The Lord raises those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous." God is more concerned with the internal needs than He is our external needs. In this verse in Psalm 146, I find it interesting that the Lord raises up those who are bowed down. When I picture someone bowed down, I picture someone in the midst of a fervent prayer about the burdens they carry both internal and external. It makes sense that in order for you to lifted up, you have to be "down" or there would be no need to be lifted up. The Lord promises us that if we are bowed down, in prayer and supplication to Him, He will raise us up. God love you, cares for you, and is ready to provide for you. My mother used to always tell me, "Son, you can never lose your footing on your knees!" Spend time on your knees before Almighty God today. He will help you through whatever you face today. Remember, you have to bow down to be raised up.

We Are Not Alone

John Knox once said, "A man with God is always in the majority." The other day, Katie sat down with me and told me she really wanted to start being a better girl. She vowed to mind more and do all of her chores. She promised to treat her friends better. She went on and on with ways she was going to be a better person. This was a blessing to me. She's not a bad girl at all, but Nita and I have really been trying to instill in both children that they are responsible for their own actions and that they should live to please God. Over the next couple of days, I noticed two very predominant things. The first was that Katie meant what she said. She was using impeccable manors, doing her chores, and behaving well in school and at home. I noticed her interaction with the kids in the neighborhood had improved too. She was trying to live the life that she knew she should. The second thing I noticed was that the harder she tried, the more things happened that became stumbling blocks for her. We would oversleep, so she had to really rush to get her bed made up and do her morning chores. We had late nights at church and this caused her to become very tired and irritable. It's like the old adage says, the harder she tried, the harder it was to accomplish. I think we all have situations like that. As we press closer to God and push ourselves to live according to God's Word, the enemy becomes more and more obvious in his attacks on us. We often find ourselves surrounded by attacks from the enemy and situations that catch us off guard and that cause us to react in ways we might not normally handle things. But, there is a promise in the Word of God that we need to remember. 2 Kings 15-16 says, "When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. 'Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?' the servant asked. 'Don't be afraid,' the prophet answered. 'Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.'" The servant was scared. He was overwhelmed. He was under attack. It caught him off guard. He didn't know what to do. He panicked. He cried out to the prophet in distress. What the servant didn't see was the mountainside full of horses and chariots of fires that were there for his protection. It wasn't until Elisha prayed that the Lord would open his eyes that he saw the protection the Lord had surrounding him. When our battles intensify and we seem to be attacked from all different sides, and when it seems that all is lost and there is no hope, we have to remember that the Lord has placed His perfect protection all around us. The Lord has gone before us. This didn’t catch God by surprise. We might not see the protection with our physical eyes, but we MUST walk in the protection in faith. We have to be encouraged by this. The Scripture tells us, "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them!" Praise God. Regardless of how it may seem to us, we are not alone!

Vulture or Hummingbird?

Marsha Petrie Sue once said, "Every day is a new beginning. Treat it that way. Stay away from what might have been, and look at what can be." I was flipping through the channels the other day try to find anything decent to watch. That's becoming more and more of a struggle for me. I came upon one of those documentary type shows. They were covering various deserts. They were talking about the birds of this one particular desert. They mentioned that there were only two kinds of birds that hang around in the desert areas. Vultures and hummingbirds are those types. I found that interesting. The vulture basically lives by flying around looking for the remains of dead animals that couldn't escape their predators. They feed on this old, left-over, and rotting meat. The hummingbirds find patches of colorful wild desert flowers. Within these flowers are juices that are sweet and that satisfy the needs of the hummingbird. What I got out of that was that the vulture looks to the dead for it's survival while the hummingbird looks to the living for theirs. Believe it or not, we're all just like one of these two birds. We live based on our past failures, regrets, and mistakes. Or, we live with a renewed hope of life for today. Philippians 3:13-14 says, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." I think we can learn a lesson from the hummingbird. We should fly over and purposefully ignore those past, dead things. We should seek the exciting, beautiful, and sweet things the Lord has for us today. It's a brand new day! And the things we experience today are meant to deepen our relationship with Christ and draw us closer to Him. The question for us to ask ourselves is this: Are we the vulture or the hummingbird?

Developing For God's Purpose

Charles Spurgeon once said, "The worst thing that can happen to any of us is to have a path that's made too smooth. One of the greatest blessings the Lord ever gave us was a cross." Each day I wake up, I have a plan prepared for that day. There are certain things that I know I need to focus on that are prioritized as best I can determine. Some days, those plans work like a charm. Some days, those plans fall apart before I get to the office. I believe in planning and seeking God for guidance on everyday tasks. The truth of the matter is, it doesn't matter how our plans are constructed, it is the Lord's plan that matters. Proverbs 19:21 says, "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Regardless of our plans and purposes for today, God has His own unique plan for each of us that requires the exact talents and skills He has equipped us with. If we are not completely aware of what our talents and gifts are, we should seek God to determine what they are. If we know what are gifting is, we should be seeking God for His help and guidance in ways to develop those talents and skills. We should never allow ourselves to become stagnant in our work for the Lord. We should constantly strive to grow and develop. Sometimes, as we develop, things are hard. Life is not easy when there is development. When you are learning in school, you are spending hours studying and preparing to receive the knowledge. When you are playing a sport, you spend hours practicing and working out in order to be ready for the game. When you are learning to play a musical instrument, there are many hours in the practice hall preparing for the recital. Sometimes, things seem difficult when you are in a season of development for the Lord. But it is through that development that we become who and what God created us to be. It is when we take the talents and skills God has given us, develop them to our fullest potential while constantly growing in the Lord, and using those talents for the glory of the Lord, that we can truly say that we are developing for God's purpose.

That's Different

Napoleon Hill once said, "No accurate thinker will judge another person by that which the other person's enemies say about him." Katie announced to us last week that she could no longer be friends with a little girl in the neighborhood. I asked why. She states that her other friend told her while playing that the other girl was not a Christian. So Katie can't be her friend now because of that. I asked Katie how she knew this young girl wasn't a Christian. She said the other friend, the one that apparently has the gift of knowing if someone is a Christian or not, said that she and her family aren't Christian because they don't go to church. I asked Katie how she knew that the family didn't go to church. Katie said that her other friend told her that they went to the zoo last weekend instead of going to the church and she knew this because the "non-Christian" girl told her. I said to Katie, "So, she and her family went to the zoo last Sunday instead of going to church, so they aren't Christians?" Katie said, "Yes!" I said, "Oh no! I'm so upset!" She asked why. I told her that I guessed we weren't Christians because when we go on vacations, sometimes we miss a Sunday. Katie then said, "Oh no, Dad. That's different." This opened up a number of conversations for us to have. First of all, don't always listen to the "other friend" because most of the time the one who talks the most knows the least while pretending to know it all. But the more important conversation I had with her related to the statement, "That's different." That's the problem with a lot of people today. When someone else does something, it is easy to point it out and even place your expert opinion and judgment on it. However, when it comes to you doing the same thing, it's … different. At least we try to convince ourselves of that fallacy. No, it isn't different. We are no better than anyone else. We have no right to think more highly of ourselves than anyone else. James 4:12 says, "There is only on lawgiver and judge, He who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?" If there is one thing that turns my stomach, it is a negative person, claiming to be a Christian, that constantly picks apart the weaknesses or shortcomings in someone else and embellishes them so that they, the negative person, can look better. Why is it so easy for us to see negative in people? I believe many people have such a low self-esteem of themselves that the only way they can feel important or accepted is to make others look bad instead of working hard themselves to be successful. These negative people are miserable people and have no peace about them. No, I'm not judging them. Look at it this way. Philippians 4:8-9 says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." If we practice what is spoken of in Philippians 4, we will have peace and not be negative. It's that simple. I hope that Katie learned from this situation. I hope we can all learn from her experience. Your "friend" that always does the negative talking about others isn't much of a friend. And secondly, regardless of what others are doing or not doing, we can't really think on those things. We truly need to see the positive in people and dwell on that. Lastly, sin is sin. Don't ever think of yourselves more highly than others. Actually the Bible tells us to love others as we love ourselves. That being said, we can never look at ourselves compared to others and think, "That's different."

What It Takes To Please God

A. W. Tozer once asked, "If God gives you a watch, are you honoring Him more by asking Him what time it is or by simply consulting the watch?" Yesterday was a very unique day. Katie's school sponsored a "take your daughter to work"day as a project lesson. As fate would have it, yesterday was that day. Nita and I both work at the church so there was no question where Katie would be. At times she followed me around asking questions and taking photos. At other times she was right on her mother's heels being a helper and writing notes on the things we do. The thing that cracked me up was she went into detail about the things Nita does. When she explained what I do she said, "And my Dad helps my Mom." In case you didn't know, Nita is a huge blessing to me at the church in helping to make things run smoothly. Apparently, Katie picked right up on that. Anyway, at one point in the day she was helping me. She asked a lot of questions about how something is done. I asked her why she was so concerned about how it was to be done. She said, "I just want to do it right and make you happy." I smiled and we went on about our day. But, that stuck with me. She wanted to please me. She had no other motive than that. I believe that is how we should be with God. Our goal, as soon as our feet hit the floor this morning, should have been to please God and nothing else. But how do we please God? I can tell you that the diplomas on the wall, although showing signs of your dedication and hard work, do not necessarily please God. All of the knowledge you have gained from your years from the "school of hard knocks" doesn't necessarily please God. I don't even believe He is too moved by any of our accomplishments or services. I know the job, the house, the vehicles and the bank account do not impress Him at all. So what pleases God? Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." God is pleased with us simply by our faith in Him. The thing about faith that I think is cool is that it is a gift from God to begin with. It isn't something we construct or make happen. The Bible tells us that we each have been given a "measure of faith." And guess what? That faith grows! The growth of our faith is directly related to how much we are in God's Word and study the scriptures. If you look at all of the promises in the Bible to each of us, your faith can't help but swell with excitement. Like Katie yesterday, as she worked to try to please me with everything she had within her, I want to do the same for God today. I want to please God by exercising my faith in Him. Feed your faith today. Study God's word. Hang on to the promises of God found throughout the Scripture. Then, at the end of the day, you can say that you have truly pleased God. You have within you what it takes to please God.