2 Timothy 2:21 — ”If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.”

When you study the book of Judges, you find that God often used unlikely people to accomplish His purposes. During one of the darkest periods in Israel’s history, God raised up judges to lead His people. He uniquely worked through people who may have seemed unqualified, unlikely, or incapable of accomplishing great things.

Today, God has given us His Word to lead and guide us. In 2 Timothy 2, Paul writes that if a person will lay aside his own desires and pursue righteousness, he can be “meet for the master’s use.” When we surrender ourselves to the Lord and allow His Word to direct our lives, God can use us to accomplish His purposes.

Pastor Glen did just that. He took what could have been viewed as a limitation and refused to allow it to keep him from making an impact for the Lord. Instead of focusing on what he could not do, he gave what he could do to God, and look how God has used him!

So, what are you doing to make an impact for Christ?

God has given you His Word to follow and obey. It isn’t “if“ God can use you, but are you letting Him!

Are you allowing God to use your life? Are you allowing His Word to lead you? Are you willing to set aside your own desires and give yourself completely to His purposes?

Praise the Lord, God can use someone like you and me!

John 17:17 — “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth”

2 Timothy 2:15 — "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

I am not a navigations expert. I would say that I am “directionally challenged.” However, every once in a while I know where I am going. I can be absolutely confident…but be going the wrong way. If a friend had a map and told me to go the right way I would need to make a decision: keep going my own way, or follow the true direction.

You and I are faced with these types of scenarios more often than you think. I can feel one way and it not be true. When I am addressed with the truth, the correct response is change. The Word of God is ultimate truth. It isn’t just true, but it is truth! When we are confronted with biblical truth we need to respond.

Pastor Glen was confronted with biblical truth and needed to make a choice. Obey the Bible or continue in his tradition. Because the Bible says tradition cannot get you to heaven, he made a decision to follow God and the truth.

Today, what decision do you need to make because of truth. If you hear preaching every Sunday and read your bible daily I would hope you are challenged to respond to the Lord. Truth deserves a response…what is yours? 

Matthew 15:1-3 — “1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?”

The Amish religion is strongly based on tradition. They believe that to be Amish means that you were born privileged. Their beliefs and rules are often not held up by scripture at all! However, their tradition is very important.

Tradition is not bad, however, when it is held to the standard of salvation it is dangerous! In reality, tradition pales in comparison to the truth of the Bible! What is that truth? That Jesus Christ came to earth to die for the sins of mankind and pay the debt that we owe.

Today, what might you be relying on to get you to heaven? Church attendance? A Christian family? Doing good works? Your baptism? If the answer is ANYTHING other than Jesus Christ it isn‘t enough. Jesus is the only way to heaven!

Psalm 40:1-3 — “1 I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”

In our judicial system, the most incriminating evidence any defense can provide is an eyewitness testimony. A testimony holds much credence! If one experienced it themselves, then it is hard to present a case otherwise!

David speaks of his own testimony! Psalm 40 is the testimony of his salvation. He says that he was in a bad situation and cried to the Lord, and He heard him. He brought him out of that pit and set his feet upon the rock and established him! This new song that was in his mouth of how God had saved his soul was heard of many, and with his testimony, people shall trust the Lord! How incredible! How amazing!

Did you know, just like David, every believer in Christ has a testimony? The day that you were saved was glorious indeed! Some speak of a dark past with many bad decisions and regrets. Some speak of a church upbringing and an early childhood conversion. But can I say that both of these stories present a sinner before the Lord, and He heard their cry and saved them from a pit and put their feet upon a rock!

Today, have you experienced this salvation, or is today the day your testimony begins?

Today, you may have a testimony. Are you sharing it so that more “shall trust in the Lord”?

A testimony is a powerful thing… USE IT!

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." — Ephesians 3:20

Some mountains will not move through determination, planning, or raw strength. In our own power, the impossible remains impossible. That is why Jesus begins with the command, "Have faith in God."

God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. That does not mean He will always answer on our timetable or in the way we expect. It means the final word belongs to Him, not to the mountain. His power is not limited by what limits us. His wisdom is not confused by what confuses us.

You may have prayed for a long time without seeing the change you hoped for. Keep praying. You may feel that your faith is small. Keep looking to the greatness of your God. The strength of faith is not found in how strongly you can feel; it is found in the One you trust.

So pray bold prayers. Believe God for what only He can do. Keep your heart surrendered before Him. And when the mountain does not move immediately, trust that God is still working. He may move the obstacle, open another path, or give you strength to keep walking. Whatever He chooses, He will remain faithful.

CARRY THIS WITH YOU: My mountain is real, but my God is greater. I will pray, obey, and trust Him with what I cannot control.

Pray: God, You are able to do exceeding abundantly above all that I ask or think. Help me pray boldly, obey faithfully, and trust You completely. Amen.

"And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." — Mark 11:25

Jesus connected faith and forgiveness in the same lesson. Faith looks upward to God. Forgiveness reaches outward toward others. We cannot claim to trust God while refusing to surrender the bitterness, resentment, or sin He has told us to release.

Unconfessed sin acts like a parking brake in the Christian life. We may press harder and try to move forward, but something keeps holding us back. Psalm 66:18 says, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." God is not asking for sinless perfection. He is calling us to honest repentance and a surrendered heart.

Forgiveness does not say the hurt did not matter. It does not excuse wrong or remove wise boundaries. It releases personal vengeance and places justice in God's hands. We forgive because we have been forgiven, and because bitterness cannot be allowed to rule our hearts.

Ask God to search you today. Is there a sin you have been defending? A person whose name immediately stirs resentment? A burden you keep grabbing back after giving it to Him? Do not let what God has asked you to release stand between you and close fellowship with Him.

REFLECT: What do you need to confess, release, or forgive today? Name it honestly before God.

Pray: Lord, search my heart. Show me what I have been holding onto. Give me grace to repent, courage to forgive, and faith to trust You with what happened. Amen.

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." — Philippians 4:6

We usually remember to pray when the emergency is obvious. But Scripture says to pray "in every thing." Prayer belongs in the large decisions and the ordinary details. It belongs in a hospital room, at the kitchen table, before a difficult conversation, and while considering a new opportunity.

Jesus showed us this kind of life. Prayer was not something He added when everything else failed. It was His regular habit and His response to every need. If the Son of God lived in constant dependence on the Father, how much more do we need to pray?

Prayer changes the posture of our heart. Worry says, "Everything depends on me." Prayer says, "God, I need You." Thanksgiving reminds us that the God who has been faithful before is still faithful today. Supplication gives the specific burden a name and places it in His hands.

What have you treated as too ordinary to pray about? A purchase? A schedule? A relationship? A conversation? A work decision? Nothing is too small to bring under the care of prayer, and no mountain is too large for God.

A SIMPLE RHYTHM FOR TODAY — Ask: Tell God exactly what you need. Thank: Name one way He has already been faithful. Trust: Release the result to Him.

Pray: Father, forgive me for treating prayer as an afterthought. Teach me to bring every part of my life to You. Replace my worry with dependence and my fear with thanksgiving. Amen.

"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." — Mark 11:24

Jesus did not tell His disciples to ignore the mountain. He told them to pray. That matters because we often do everything else first. We complain about the problem. We replay it in our minds. We stay awake worrying about what could happen. We try every plan we can think of, and prayer becomes our last resort.

Jesus said, "When ye pray." Prayer is not an accessory to the Christian life. It is essential. God has chosen prayer as one of the ways we draw near to Him, align our hearts with His will, and depend on His power.

Mountain-moving prayer is not a blank check for every desire. It is not a way to control God. It is bringing a real need to a faithful Father and trusting Him with the answer. Sometimes He changes the circumstance. Sometimes He changes us while we wait. Every time, prayer moves us from self-reliance to God-dependence.

Name the mountain honestly today. Do not make it sound smaller. Do not hide your fear. Bring the need to God specifically. Ask boldly. Then leave the outcome in His wise and loving hands.

PUT IT INTO PRACTICE: Write one sentence that names your mountain. Under it, write one specific request you will bring to God today.

Pray: Lord, You already know what I need, but You invite me to ask. I bring this mountain to You. Give me faith to pray boldly and humility to trust Your answer. Amen.

"And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God." — Mark 11:22

Peter was amazed that the fig tree Jesus had cursed was completely withered. Jesus answered his amazement with four simple words: "Have faith in God." Before He taught the disciples about moving mountains, He showed them where their faith must rest.

Biblical faith is not believing in yourself. It is not positive thinking or pretending the mountain is smaller than it really is. Faith is confidence in God. It is trusting His character, His Word, His wisdom, and His power even when you cannot see what He is doing.

Faith is only as strong as its object. A weak chair cannot hold you, no matter how sincerely you trust it. But God is completely trustworthy. Your circumstances may change. Your strength may fail. What you can see may give you every reason to worry. God remains faithful.

What mountain are you facing today? A broken relationship? A frightening diagnosis? A child who has wandered from God? A decision you do not know how to make? Before you try to carry it alone, hear the words of Jesus: Have faith in God.

Your faith is not in the outcome you want. Your faith is in the One who sees the whole road. No matter how large the mountain looks, God is bigger. No matter how impossible the situation seems, God is able.

REFLECT: Where have you been depending on your own strength instead of resting in God's ability?

Pray: Father, my strength is limited, but Yours is not. Help me take my eyes off the mountain and place my faith in You. Teach me to trust Your character, Your Word, and Your wisdom today. Amen.

Proverbs 3:5-6 -- "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean
not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and
he shall direct thy paths."

We all open the Bible with ideas about what God ought to say to us.
But Scripture keeps going deeper every time we read it. Matt Smethurst
said, "You will never be a good Bible reader if you've already decided
what God should say." Come to it humble and open. Let His Spirit light
up the words in ways you didn't expect. Trust His wisdom over your own
understanding, and He'll straighten out the path and change your heart
along the way.

James 1:17 -- "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning."

Chesterton said it well: "When it comes to life the critical thing is
whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude."
Every good thing in your life came from the Father -- and He doesn't
change. The sunshine, a good friend, the small ordinary moments -- all
gifts from a steady, loving God. Don't assume you earned them. Take
them with gratitude, and even the ordinary starts to look
extraordinary.

Reflect: What's one ordinary blessing you've been overlooking? Thank
Him for it today.

Psalm 22:3 -- "But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel."

There's a direct line between praising God and sensing His presence.
When we praise Him, we make room for Him. Praise opens the door --
it's where we find the strength, direction, and steady footing we
need. Life gets noisy and heavy, but a habit of praise clears space
for His holiness to settle in. Whatever today holds, choose praise.
Let gratitude fill your heart, and you'll find Him right there in the
middle of it.

Reflect: Where can you build a little more praise into your day this week?

 I Thessalonians 5:18 -- "In everything give thanks: for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

It's easy to be thankful when life's going well. The real test is
giving thanks in the middle of hard things. That's where gratitude
becomes an act of faith -- trusting that God is in control and working
it all out for our good (Romans 8:28). Even on the tough days, there's
something to thank Him for: the strength He's giving you, what He's
teaching you, the way He's pulling you closer.

Reflect: What's one hard thing you can thank God for today?

Psalm 37:23-24 -- "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord:
and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly
cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand."

Dr. Cary Schmidt put it this way: "Until you take a flying leap of
faith, you'll never know what it's like to land in the gentle center
of God's amazing hands. He can't catch you until you actually jump."
God orders our steps. Even when we stumble, His hand is there to hold
us up. As we delight in His ways, He delights in us. That leap into
the unknown can be scary, but every time we jump, we land right in the
middle of His grace.

Psalm 27:13–14 – “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”

Psalm 27 gives us four requirements for waiting on God: confidence, worship, prayer, and courage.

But David gives us more than a command. He also gives us a promise: “He shall strengthen thine heart.”

God doesn’t promise that the wait will be easy or short. He promises to strengthen us through it.

Whatever you are waiting for, God hasn’t forgotten you. He isn’t late, and He isn’t wasting a single day. He is working while you are waiting.

Psalm 27:10–12 – “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.”

David honestly admits that he nearly gave up. He was discouraged and ready to lose heart.

But something stopped him: he still believed in the goodness of God.

Then David preached to his own heart: “Wait on the Lord…wait, I say, on the Lord.”

Courage isn’t the absence of discouragement. It’s refusing to let discouragement win. Sometimes courage means trusting God for one more day.

Reflect: What truth about God do you need to preach to your heart today?

Psalm 27:7–9 – “Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.”

David stops talking about God and begins talking to God.

He brings request after request: hear me, answer me, teach me, lead me, and deliver me. He doesn’t pray once and quit. He keeps bringing every need to the Lord.

When the answer doesn’t come quickly, we are tempted to stop praying. But God’s delay does not mean God’s denial.

God always answers prayer: yes, no, or wait. Prayer doesn’t force God to follow our schedule. It keeps us close to Him while we wait for His timing.

Reflect: Is there a request you need to begin bringing to God again?

Psalm 27:4–6 – “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.”

When we are waiting, we tend to wonder, worry, or whine. David chose another response: worship.

His circumstances hadn’t changed. Saul was still pursuing him, and danger was still near. But David chose to seek God before the answer ever came.

In verse 6, David declares, “I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.” Worship wasn’t simply a feeling. It was a choice.

It’s easy to praise God after the answer comes. It takes faith to worship Him while we are still waiting.

Reflect: Are you turning your waiting room into a worry room or a worship room?

Psalm 27:1–3 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.”

David was surrounded by enemies, but he refused to let fear outweigh his confidence in God.

In these verses, David looks at the present, remembers the past, and trusts God with the future. His confidence wasn’t based on his feelings. It was built on who God is and what God had already done.

The God who carried you before is carrying you now. He will carry you through whatever comes next.

Waiting on God begins with confidence that the One we are waiting on can be trusted.

Reflect: What has God already done that gives you confidence to trust Him now?

Luke 9:23-24: "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."

Luke 9:23 lays out three hard things Jesus asks of anyone who wants to follow Him: deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him daily. Jesus knew those terms would sound costly, so He doesn't stop there. In the very next verse, He tells us why it's worth it: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it" (Luke 9:24).

Here's the paradox: the person who tries to save his own life, who clings to control, comfort, and self-rule, will ultimately waste it. But the person who gives his life fully to Christ will discover the life he was created to live. Jesus isn't trying to take life away from you. He's showing you where real life is found.

You may lose some comfort. You may lose the approval of others. You may have to give up your own way. But you will never lose by giving your life completely to Jesus Christ.

Takeaway: You can't out-give Jesus; losing your life for His sake is the only way to actually find it.

Luke 9:23-24: "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."

When Jesus says "follow me" in Luke 9:23, that word carries more than just showing up day after day. It also carries imitation and loyalty. To follow Christ means to become like Christ, not just to know what He said, but to learn to live the way He lived, love the way He loved, forgive the way He forgave, serve the way He served. An admirer watches from a distance and applauds. An imitator gets close enough to copy.

It also means loyalty. In the ancient world, a rabbi's disciples walked behind him closely enough that everyone watching knew exactly whose disciple they were. Following was never a private arrangement; it was public allegiance. To follow Jesus means He holds our highest loyalty: not part-time, not conditional, no matter what comes our way.

If people can stay loyal to a sports team through winning seasons and losing ones alike, how much more should we stay loyal to the One who didn't just give us a season, but eternal life?

Takeaway: Imitation and loyalty are how the people around you know exactly whose disciple you are.

Luke 9:23-24: "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."

The third thing Jesus asks in Luke 9:23 is simply this: follow me. In the Greek, that phrase is one word, akoloutheō, and it's written in the present tense: continuous, ongoing action. It doesn't mean "follow Me for a while." It means keep on following.

Think about following someone through traffic. You don't pull in behind them at a light and then wander off ten minutes later; the moment you stop following, you're lost. It's the same with Jesus. Salvation happens in a moment, but following happens every day. It's not a decision you made once; it's a direction you keep choosing.

So the question isn't "Did you follow Jesus?" The question is "Do you follow Jesus? Are you following Him today, right now?" Not just on Sundays. Not just when it's easy. Every day, every moment.

Takeaway: Following Jesus isn't a decision you made once; it's a direction you have to keep choosing, today and every day after it.

Luke 9:23-24: "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."

In Luke 9:23, right after telling us to deny ourselves, Jesus adds a second requirement: take up your cross daily. We sometimes cheapen this phrase into ordinary inconveniences, a stubbed toe, a bad back, "just my cross to bear." But when Jesus said it, His audience knew exactly what He meant. A cross wasn't a metaphor for hardship; it was an instrument of death. A person carrying one was walking toward their own execution.

Just before this, Jesus had told His disciples that He would suffer, be rejected, and die. Now He tells them, and us, that following Him means being willing to walk the same road of sacrifice. History bears this out: eleven of the twelve apostles were martyred for their faith. Even John, the only one to die of natural causes, was exiled.

For most of us, this won't mean physical persecution. But it will mean sacrifice: standing for truth when it's unpopular, losing friendships or opportunities because of your faith, giving up comfort or convenience for the sake of Christ. Taking up your cross means willingly embracing whatever that cost looks like for you, every day.

Takeaway: Following Jesus was never promised to be safe; it was promised to be worth it.

Luke 9:23-24: "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."

In Luke 9:23, Jesus says that anyone who wants to follow Him must first "deny himself." It's easy to hear that as giving up a few pleasures or living a simpler life, but Jesus means something deeper. This is self-dethronement. It's stepping down from the throne of your own life and handing the controls to Him.

By nature, we want to be in control. We have plans, ambitions, and desires that shape our decisions, and we'd rather negotiate with God than surrender to Him. But you can't serve two masters (Matthew 6:24), and you can't follow Jesus while still trying to lead yourself. Paul understood this when he wrote, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31), not as a slogan, but as a daily choice to hand the throne back over.

Denying yourself isn't about misery. It's about trusting that Jesus knows what's best, even when His Word goes against what you want. The question stops being "What do I feel like doing?" and becomes "What has God said?"

Takeaway: Denying yourself isn't losing your life; it's handing the throne back to the only One who was ever meant to sit on it.

Matthew 18:34-35 –  "And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."

Here's the tragic irony of the whole parable: the servant had just walked out of the king's presence completely free, and by refusing to release someone else, he ended up back in bondage. Free one moment. Bound the next. He thought he was punishing the man who owed him. Instead, he became the prisoner.

That's what unforgiveness actually does. It promises control (like holding onto the debt somehow gives you power over the person who hurt you). But all it produces is torment. To hold a grudge, you have to keep the account open. You have to keep remembering. You have to keep recalculating what they still owe you. And eventually you realize the debt isn't the only thing you're holding – it's holding you.

Jesus isn't saying we earn God's forgiveness by forgiving others. This servant had already received mercy he could never deserve.

What Jesus is saying is that mercy which has genuinely reached your heart will change how you treat the people who hurt you. If it hasn't changed that yet, it's worth asking what's still standing in the way.

Think back over this week – the name you named on Wednesday, the comparison you made on Thursday. What would it actually look like, this week, to let it go? Not to say it didn't happen. Not to pretend it didn't hurt. Just to stop being the one standing guard over a debt that was never yours to collect in the first place.