“After we had been there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him over to the Gentiles.’” (Acts 21:10-12)
 
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” The saying means when things get difficult, strong people continue and do not give up. Often, we might want to give up when facing difficult challenges since, we love things to be easy in life. We love not having to try extremely hard to earn money, at work, or make dinner. A quick-frozen pizza that can be thrown in the oven is always the perfect solution. Some can even mistake “Well, if it’s hard, it is not God’s will for our life.” Believing that everything within God’s will for their life is going to be easy. Learning to obey even when it is hard can be challenging. Not everything in life is easy; believing you can do something after you failed, starting over in life, admitting to others you’ve lost your job. When we face challenges head on, we learn obedience and build strength.

Many of us know what it is like to face tough situations and sometimes the pain is unbearable, and we wish we could just skip it. However, we need to continue to move forward walking in faith knowing that God is with us no matter the circumstance. During strenuous times we can be led by fear causing us to make wrong decisions but choose to be led by faith. Faith in God. Even in the middle of the struggle, God is working continue to obey his voice.
                 
Heavenly Father, help us to continue to obey even in the face of hard decisions.
 
Walking with you,
Stacy Watkins

“But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:24)
 

Have you ever attempted to run a marathon? Running 26.2 miles does not sound fun although successful marathon runners say it is rewarding. It takes preparation and training for people to be able to finish the race. The training is what makes runners successful in being able to finish the race.

Training for a marathon compared to the Christian life involves the same strategies people to walk alongside the journey with you, the right fuel, and rest. People need to walk alongside the journey with you to encourage, accountability, and prayer. Not only do we need people to walk alongside us but, the right fuel. The right fuel comes from reading scripture and learning from God’s word. God’s word nourishes us and gives us what we need to minister to other individuals. Many beginning runners believe that they should not rest. However, on the rest days is where strength is truly built. We learn not to overload our lives at the expense of staying connected to God. We learn to rely on God’s strength and not our own power.

​A marathon is finished one mile at a time. At first it feels hard with no end in sight but, the training prepared us for every step of the way. How do we finish the task God has given us? One day at a time.
 
Heavenly Father, help us to continue to finish the task that you have given us. May you strengthen us when we feel weak.

Walking with you,
Stacy Watkins

“The Lord said to Paul in a night vision, “Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.”
(Acts 18:9-10)
 
A slogan sometimes seen on t-shirts is DON’T QUIT with parts of the words crossed out DON’T QUIT  emphasizing instead of reading don’t quit the shirt now reads as do it. There are moments in our lives when we feel like quitting and shifting our focus. We might have applied to several different jobs and have not heard back from any companies or been hired after months. We might have started a community group, and no one shows up. We can even wonder “why are we even trying?” It can feel defeating and discouraging but keep going. It can become easy to stop applying after several no’s. No matter the circumstance do not give up.
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It is easy to throw in the towel in these moments and shift our focus to do something else. When we are ready to give up remember that God is with you even, when it is not working out. Continue to be faithful even when results are not visible. God has gone before you and at the right time the opportunity will come. God is with you even when it feels like he is not. God continues to prepare our hearts for exactly what we need at the right time. Just keep going.
 
Heavenly Father, may you give us courage to continue and be faithful even when we feel discouraged.
 
Walking with you,
Stacy Watkins

“Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.” (Acts 16:6-7)

Have you ever had a door of opportunity blocked? We might apply for a dream job- prepared, interviewed, and even prayed on it but not get hired. We were perfect for the job. It can be frustrating and confusing. Months later when another opportunity arises and we are perfect for it and it has even higher pay, but you still do not get the job. It can become discouraging when we do not get the job and tried our best for interviews.

We must continue to have faith and not give up when we hear a “no” since a “no” can feel completely defeating. A “no” might not be a complete “no” but a wait. Wait on the Lord and he will direct your steps. Sometimes we might be eager to go for something that is not beneficial for us in this case God says “no”. No is not a punishment either that he hates us and does not want us to succeed. For God cares for each one of his children and wants the best for them.

​A “no” can lead to an even greater “yes” an opportunity that he was holding out for us. A blocked opportunity might just be a wait. Wait on God because he has something better for you. Let him guide your steps to where you need to be to glorify him.
 
Heavenly Father, give us ears to listen to your Spirit.
 
Walking with you,        
Stacy Watkins

And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26)
           
There are only a few things that are necessary for basic survival in life food, water, shelter, air, clothing, and sleep. If you asked many today their phones and laptops would also make that list. Other people might say a tv is necessary to survive and if they did not own one, they would not know what to do. Others might say they could not survive without being able to listen to their favorite music. We all have our own lists of what is necessary but for Jesus what was necessary for him to enter his glory included something unbearable.

Jesus poses the question “was it not necessary?”  Jesus the son of God who brought people back from the dead asks if it was necessary for him to die so that he can enter glory. The question seems a little perplexing it does not seem necessary since Jesus has all power and authority under heaven and on earth could command heaven’s armies to defend him but instead, humbly accepts the cross and suffers for all of us. Although we might not find it necessary for Jesus it was necessary because of how much he loved us. It was necessary to pay the ultimate sacrifice.

On disappointing days when we feel like we are losing it can be hard to understand what is happening in our lives. We can become angry or worried, distressed or disappointed, and incredibly frustrated in the circumstances of our lives that it becomes hard to understand what is God doing during our hard times? Even in tragic times God is working in our midst we might not understand it, but he is in control.
 
Heavenly Father, help us to trust in your plans and timing.
 
Walking with you,
Stacy Watkins

“I will put this third through the fire; I will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say: They are my people, and they will say: The Lord is our God.” (Zechariah 13:9)
 
Here we are called to be refined as silver and tested as gold. These are both precious metals. Not many of us go and seek to be tested or refined since many of us do not want to face our own insecurities or even trials. Facing our own insecurities and trials puts us into a vulnerable position the parts of us that we do not want people to see are exposed. There are no possible ways to hide our flaws.

When we come to difficulties such as financial difficulties, losing a job, and relationship struggles often we complain against God about our situation and even lose our faith. It can be challenging to understand why a God who is proclaimed to be good to allow suffering and even put people through the fire. However, going through the fire often can bring about something good and beautiful. Rings are often put through fire to be refined and made beautiful. When we go through financial struggles and learn to budget money, we learn how to spend our money wisely. When we lose a job, we can get angry and choose not to work again. God has given you skills and abilities that you can use at different jobs. That one place is not the only place there may be something even better for you.

Refining by fire may not feel the greatest since you are going through a lot and sometimes there does not feel like a way out. Through the righteousness of Christ God has purged away our sins and made everyone who believes in Him pure.
 
Heavenly Father, Lord I do not see any way out of my current situation, but I know you have already given me the skills and abilities to be able to further my situation. God I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you can. May I continue to allow you to guide me each step of the way
 
Praying for you,
Stacy Watkins

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
James 1:22
 
Jesus tells a group of religious leaders a short story in Matthew 21. He tells them about two sons both of which were asked to go to work. The first son said no but after thinking about it decided he better get to it, so he ended up going to work. The second son said, “Yes, I will go” but then never actually does. Jesus asked which son was obedient? Of course, it was the son that actually went to work. You see, our words can only get us so far before they require us to take some action.

The grit God has given us (2 Timothy 1:7) is to be used in our every day lives, not just in the toughest moments of life, but all the time. God expects us to live out our faith and not to just talk about it. He expects us to actually do what we say. If we say we believe in Jesus then our life and actions need to reflect that belief. We need to be doers. He expects us to take what He has given us, the Spirit of grit, and actually do something with it. That means we need to live a gritty life.

Another way He explains this is in the story of the talents in Matthew 25. Three servants are given some talents. Two of the servants do something with the talents given and multiply them. The third servant just protects the one given because he is afraid to lose it. He doesn’t want to take the risk. So, he does nothing with it. He is called the lazy and wicked servant and the master takes the talent from him. 

The things God has given us are meant to be used. We are supposed to take a risk with them in order to be obedient to God and be a doer of His word. That is what James mean when he says we need to be a doer and not just a listener. He means we have been given a spirit of power, well we better display that power. We have a spirit of love, well we better love. We have a spirit of discipline, well we better show some discipline. In almost every case it will require some grit. 

God has not given us a spirit of laziness or called us to a life of ease. He has given us a spirit of grit – a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. God has given us the necessary talent to expand His Kingdom. We are called to use it, to take the risk, and live a gritty life. God is ready to use that gritty life to change lives and make Kingdom impacts. Be gritty. Live gritty. 
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Pastor Matt

And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she said, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.
Matthew 15:26-28
 
I was playing a virtual reality game not that long ago and realized how hard it is to convince your mind of two different things at the same time. I knew I was standing in my living room, but my mind was seeing a miniature golf course with cliffs and water falls. I tried to “walk off” the cliff a couple of times and even though I knew there really was no cliff it still caused a funny feeling and I had to “force” my brain to be ok with it. It was weird! 

Gritty faith can be like that at times. Where we have to go off of what we know to be true and not what we feel or the circumstances we are looking at. There are times in life where we will have to have that kind of faith to experience the victory God has for us.

In the story in Matthew 15 there is a Gentile woman who had a daughter that was demon possessed. She, like any mother, wanted her daughter to be healed, to be set free of the torment. So, she came to Jesus for that healing. She knew Jesus was able to heal her, she knew Jesus as Lord, and she believed in who He said He was. It took that solid foundation and some grit for her to see her daughter set free.

Her circumstances were not in her favor – she was a Gentile woman – unclean in the eyes of the Jews and would have been ignored by most Jewish men. Her cries for help were met with demands of silence by those closest to Jesus. Even Jesus didn’t respond in the most favorable way. But, she kept on. She kept asking. She got on her knees and cried out for help. This was one gritty mom!

This gritty faith led to a victory for her and for her daughter. Jesus has guaranteed us a victory, but He never promised it would be an easy one. Don’t let your circumstances dictate your faith or your action. Let God do that. Hold on to who you know Him to be! Never let anyone or anything steer you off track – have some grit and wait for God to work!

Pastor Matt

Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death… Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.
Hebrews 2:14, 17-18
 
There is a really interesting story in Matthew 4 of Jesus being tempted. It says God led Him out into the wilderness in-order to be tempted. That sounds very strange to me. I mean, think about it, God led His Son out to be tempted. Would you send your child out into the world to be tempted? It is a questionable decision until you take into account what Jesus was doing. He was becoming like us in every respect to help us live victoriously through this life. 

When Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness He was showing us that living victoriously is possible and He was showing us how to go about it. Jesus put His grit on full display. According to the writer of Hebrews He did all this so He could helps us in the same way. So, are you facing some temptation – have some Jesus grit!

Jesus grit starts with some steps of obedience. In Matthew 4 the first thing Jesus does is follows the leading of the Spirit. I am sure He didn’t really want to go out into the wilderness but He went anyway. If we are going to have Jesus grit we are going to have to be willing to follow the leadership of God even if that means following Him into the difficult. Grit doesn't come from the easy – it comes from the hard. So be obedient to God so He can cultivate the grit you need. 

Jesus also took time to surrender Himself to God. We can see that in His baptism as well as in the 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. Jesus grit requires surrender. To make it through you have to be all in for God. Are you? Jesus was.

After those 40 days and that temptation Jesus came out victorious. According to Hebrews, that means we can go through the same thing and come out the same way. Now that Jesus has gone through it, He is ready to lead you through it too. Jesus grit trusts in the help of Christ.      

Pastor Matt