Rev. Nate and Julie Ware John 3:17 – John 3:16 “The Whole Picture” When we see a picture/painting . . . How much of the picture do we really see? In my water lily painting, there’s some fish swimming below with a tree beside the pond, chewed by a beaver. In the woods, a few feet away, is a bear cub with the mother not far away. In the tree…Keep Reading

Ephesians 6:10-12 “POWERFUL AGAINST A DARK WORLD” “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms…”…Keep Reading

Psalm 118:24 “Making Bitter Water Fresh” When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter (That is why the place is called Marah). So, the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What are we to drink?’ Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.”…Keep Reading

Luke 15:17 “When he came to his senses…” Life in Christ is often spoken of as a Victorious Life. Then why do so many not experience it that way? “Lord, there is a victorious life that I truly desire to achieve. I ask that you guide me step by step. ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be…Keep Reading

Haggai 2:1-9 THOUGHT FOR TODAY “CAN’T GO BACK” I will always thank God for the path that I have walked, but this we know, we can’t go back. I look down the road ahead but the view is darkened by the one who holds the light only at my feet and not off in the distance. This is the day that the Lord has created for rejoicing, this is the…Keep Reading

Luke 14:23 THOUGHT FOR TODAY “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” “Compel them to come…” Those are the words of a desperate king who has a house ready for celebration to share with anyone who is willing to accept his invitation. COMPEL is a word that Christians leaders must reclaim…Keep Reading

Luke 4:16 “Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.” Our retirement from pastoral ministry has made us realize how much we appreciate church family. If you have a church home, please cherish it and support it; and pastors, among the greatest blessings you will ever know are the folks that the Lord has…Keep Reading

Rev. Nate and Julie Ware Matthew 17:20 THOUGHT FOR TODAY “Faith Like a Mustard Seed” Faith the size of a mustard seed . . . Grinding up mustard seeds for some recipes, I realize how absolutely tough these little seeds are . . . So having faith like a mustard seed also means an extra strong, tough and steadfast faith. It means having faith when there seems to be little…Keep Reading

Matthew 6:6 THOUGHT FOR TODAY “But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father in the secret place; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly.” Moving from a large house to a smaller one makes you appreciate closet space. Regardless of the size of our dwelling, the soul doesn’t change. There is room in the…Keep Reading

James 1:19 THOUGHT FOR TODAY “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Only God could know the extent of damage caused by rumors gone wild. James wrote that the tongue can set a wildfire that can burn down a forest. The Bible gives us good instructions that can save a lot of heartache and…Keep Reading

Christ in the Alphabet – “Z” Good morning. This is Judy. Today we will conclude our weekly Christ in the Alphabet Devotion series. These past 25 weeks have been very enjoyable for me and through studying and searching the Scriptures, I feel my relationship with Christ has grown to a new level. All praise to the One who inspires me – Jesus Christ! He is everything to me – He…Keep Reading

Christ in the Alphabet – “Y” Good morning. This is Judy. Today we will look at the letter “Y” in our Christ in the Alphabet Devotion series. As I get closer to the end of the Alphabet, it becomes harder to come up with words and/or attributes that describe Christ. What words come to your mind for the letter Y? A word that comes to my mind is, in Hebrew,…Keep Reading