Any carpenter knows that to do a good job, you must possess the tools needed.

As a Christian, for me to start my day I must possess God's Holy Spirit.  I must start each day reading, learning and using these tools to help me throughout the day.

In the world we live in today, if we're not fully equipped with God's tools, we're so susceptible to Satan's schemes.

Being equipped allows God's grace to keep us focused on our purpose here on earth; to do the great commission.

Stay equipped for God's purposes on your life.  We are His disciples, let's be prepared and start acting like it.

2 Timothy 3:17 – " That the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

Have you ever found yourself trying to put God in a box?  I know I have.  I get into a situation, or something comes up that catches me off guard and I try to tell God what to do.  I tell Him how I want this to work out.  It never works.

We will never fully understand the fullness of God.  We can trust that God is limitless in his power and His love for us.  If we truly understand this, we should never be afraid of anything in our lives.

Because of sin, we will never fully comprehend all that God is.  But, as a Christian, I am looking forward to Heaven where sin will no longer ravage our minds and when He will most likely share some of His secrets!

Matthew 10:28 – " Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

If you've ever hiked or walked out in the wilderness, you know that to reach a mountaintop, you go through a valley or valleys.  The same way with life.  To achieve something that you've been working towards, you have to sometimes go through some heartaches, setbacks or even detours to accomplish your goal.

The great news about those of us who are Christians is that we don't have to reach the mountaintop alone.  We have God, the Creator of the Universe that is with us, throughout the whole journey.

God promises us that no matter where we are in life, or where we're going, He's right there with us.  What a great comfort!

Psalm 23:4 - " Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.  For you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."

If you're like me, it feels good to be in control.  You feel powerful and confident, but if you're basing your situation on your own strength, your own control, then you might be fooling yourself.  


It's easy to trust and believe in God when things are going good, but when things take a turn for the worse, we tend to think that we can rely on ourselves.  These times are all the more reason to trust God, to stand firm on His promises. This journey can be a tremendous blessing and a great reward, if we give it all to God.  You have to do your part and give up any semblance of control that you think you might have.


Walking by faith and not by sight or feeling requires us to go to a place that we do not know.  A place that God will reveal to us as we walk in obedience.


This walk of faith requires a strong determination to follow God's plan regardless of what life is throwing at you.


Trust Him.  He's got this!


Hebrews 13:5 - "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Have you ever been in a relationship where your love for another person or someone's love for you started to vary a little bit?  If you have, you know what I'm talking about when I say, 'it stinks.'


But, on the other hand, if you're a child of God and have given your life to Him, then you know that His love for you never changes, is never lost, or never varies depending on your circumstances.  

I have been through times in my life where I felt distant from God.  I felt like He wasn't listening to me, or feeling like He may have even abandoned me.  But, even though I was distant, God never was.


Thank God He doesn't give up on us when we give up on Him.  Thank God His love never varies just because we put Him in a box or forget about Him.  His love for each one of us is unconditional, unwavering; not subject to variation.


God loves you like no one else does.  His love endures forever!  His love has no limits!


Romans 8:38-39: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

This video is Day 3 of the Mission trip near Tarapoto, Peru, February 2018. Enjoy!

God created us to work.  This work is to reflect the glory of God. 

Of course, the goodness of work was twisted by sin.  Once since entered the human heart in the garden of Eden, it permeated the entirety of creating, including work itself.

Be careful friends.  Don't let work become your idol.  Don't let work take you away from God and your family.

After Jesus died for us and sent the Holy Spirit, we are now empowered to redeem our work for God's glory and the good of others.

Make sure you're aware that God is your boss, if you're a child of the King.  Also, God works through us in more ways than you can imagine.

I've always strived to have a good work ethic and give all the glory to God for my job and the ability to provide for my family.

Don't underestimate God.  You may be in a job where you're wondering 'why am I here?'  Know that God placed you in the position you're in for a reason, to bless others.

Psalm 119:133 – "Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me."

God designed each of us and our emotions to be gauges, not guides.  Your emotions shouldn't dictate how you live your life.  Emotions reveal what your heart loves, trusts and fears.

Don't let your emotions boss you around. They're merely reports of what you're humanly feeling.

Satan prowls around, seeking to detour you off your path.  He'll make you feel like you deserve more, that you're not getting enough praise, etc.

Think in agreement with God.  Our emotions tell us how we feel, not how God feels.  God works with us until we're not moved by human emotions alone.  He sent the Holy Spirit to be our guide.

It's important that we, as Christians, learn about managing emotions rather than allowing our emotions to manage us.

Don't be a fool and let your emotions take over your life.

Proverbs 29:11 – " A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back."