Scripture:
“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty and power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore. “ Jude 1:24-25

Scripture:
“Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish law.” Titus 3:9
 
Observation:
Head knowledge is not as important as the condition of our heart. In verse 14 of chapter 3, Paul places a challenge before Titus, he states “Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive.”  The book of Titus is a letter Paul wrote to give Titus advice on selecting church leaders and encouraging him to teach and live in a godly manner. During this time Titus was struggling to teach leaders to get beyond the laws and look to the needs of people.
 
Application:
I often find my greatest struggle in this area is dealing with my brother. It takes no time for him to begin his “show of you Bible knowledge” routine when we embark on a serious discussion about life. It used to frustrate me that he could live a life totally apart from God and yet talk about God as if he knew him intimately. I could quickly get caught up in a heated debate. At one point God rebuked me for my words and showed me that instead of allowing my brother to see God in me, I was just doing the same thing he was. The reality was my brother did know God and instead of trying to prove him wrong just because his life was not what I thought it should be, I should have been a willing vessel for God to use. God challenged me to meet some needs in my brother’s life and instead of arguing theology, to just share my heart. I have seen and am continuing to see God do a mighty work in the life of my brother. We have to stop and remember that it’s not what we know but who we know lives in us.
 
Prayer:
God fill my heart with wisdom and knowledge from you. My desire is to know you more and to be able to share you with many. Stir in me and guide me so I can know when to use your words and when to show your love.

Scripture:
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” Titus 2:11-12

Observation:
The appearance and presence of Christ brings about transformation. The old way or worldly way should be abandoned and a new life in Christ should be pursued. This principle is also found in 1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”  Being transformed into the image of Christ is key to our spiritual DNA. If we are not different or set apart from the world, how will those around us see Christ in us?
 
Application:
It’s hard to be different. From the time we are old enough to develop social relationships we are trying to fit in. Even into adulthood there are times that we say and maybe act like what other think about us does not matter, but deep down it does. I think to get to the root of this we need to consider our spiritual self esteem. When we have experienced God’s grace through salvation then our confidence should not be in ourselves but in Christ who dwells in us. Once our heart, life and love are for the Father our life should reflect Him. It’s easy to think that we live a godly life but there are two key parts to this verse that stand out as a challenge to me. Saying no to worldly passions and to live self controlled. When we pursue the world and try to fit in it’s hard to be controlled because no amount of anything the world has to offer will ever fulfill us like the love of Christ will. We can easily be consumed with the world and our self control can go right out the window. Abandon the world and live a life fully consumed with a passion for the Father, be different and set apart so that others will see Him in you.
 
Prayer:
Father, show me where I have allowed worldly passions to take hold in my life. Give me a clear understanding of how I can live a more self controlled life through you. God, thank you for your transforming grace that sustains me. Allow me an opportunity to be set a part this week so that I may be a living example for you.

Scripture:
“Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.” Psalm 86:11-13
 
Observation:
When God is teaching me His word and guiding me in His way my heart should be pure, undivided and focused on Him. From my undivided heart praise should resonate for my Savior. Through His word, His teaching and His truth I know that He is the one who saved me.
 
Application:
It’s not easy to think about having an undivided heart because as believers we want the think that our heart belongs completely to God but I know that I can often have a divided heart. In the midst of life there are many things that can pull my attention away from God and what He is teaching me. Most of the time I find the things that divided my attention, are not necessarily bad things. It could be something as simple as our family or job that can divide our hearts. When we allow other things in our life to come before God our heart becomes divided. When we seek God, desire to know Him and to meet with Him everything else will fall into place. I often find it hard to offer up praise when my heart and mind are distracted but when I take the time to seek God in those moments I understand that my priorities are out of place. God first, everything else after!  Refocusing my heart to Him brings great praise, praise that He is due simply because He loves me and saved me.
 
Prayer:
God give me a whole heart. Allow my focus, my time and my energy to be all about you. Show me the things in my life that divide my heart so that I may remove them to make room for you. I pray that in all I do my praise will resonate for you and that in that others would see you high and lifted up. Thank you for your work and thank you for loving me.

— Heather Burdette, preschool minister, Reservoir campus

Scripture:
“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” — 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Observation:
ALL scripture, every single word, is the inspired word of God. Knowing this truth gives confidence in the word of God – confidence that His word is perfect and infallible, and is applicable to every area of my life including teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. This verse also clearly teaches that it is through the word and the study of it that I can be equipped for every good work.

Application:
Another version says that all scripture is “profitable” - in other words – it is good for me. It fills my mind with truth that is absolute, it helps me to see when I have done wrong and how to correct my ways, and it tells me how to live a righteous life. It does all this so to make me thoroughly equipped or complete. It transforms my mind as I grow in deeper levels of understanding. Just as Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove God’s will, His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Prayer:
“How I long to learn more of Your word oh Lord! I yearn for a deep understanding and knowledge of Your word. Transform me by the renewing of my mind. I want to have Your thoughts at the forefront of my mind and heart. I desire to be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work that You have in store for me. Your word is perfect. Your word is reliable. Your word is living and active. Your word is life for me – I will wither away if I neglect it, but I will bloom when I dwell in it. Thank You for Your word oh God. It is more precious than gold” - “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.”

— Jason Elam, worship pastor, Clinton campus

Scripture:
“And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” — 2 Timothy 2:24-26

Observation:
A couple of things jump out at me from these verses. First is that we can’t argue someone into the Kingdom. It reminds me of what I have heard preachers say so many times - “If I can talk you into it, someone else can talk you out of it.” It is not up to me to try and convince and persuade someone through arguing with them. The scripture does say I need to know what I’m talking about – that I am “able to teach” and that I must do so with a gentle spirit - “gently instruct those who oppose”. Second, and this takes the pressure off, is that God is the one who leads to and grants repentance, which in turn leads to a knowledge of the truth.

Application:
Praise God that the pressure is not on me to have a rational, fine tuned argument to woo someone to the kingdom of God. My role is this: instead of being quarrelsome – to be kind and gentle, instead of being unable to communicate my beliefs – to be able to teach, instead of being hostile and resentful to an opposing viewpoint – to be calm and gentle, instead of thinking the weight is on my shoulders – to trust and know that it is God’s kindness that leads men to repentance, not my oratory skills. It is as Jesus said in John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.”

Prayer:
God, draw men to Yourself today and use my life as part of the process. May I be filled with kindness, gentleness and humility as I interact with people today and everyday. Use my life as an instrument to point people to Your grace and love.

— Jason Elam, worship pastor, Clinton campus

Scripture:
“’Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” — Joel 2:12–13
 
Observation:
The prophet Joel tells of the destruction and invasion of his land by a plague of locusts and invading armies. He goes on to declare that the Lord is ready and willing to forgive and restore His people to Himself. God’s people are told to return to Him with their hearts, and not just their garments or outward rituals.
 
Application:
All throughout the scriptures, God continues to amaze me with His compassion and enduring love. Though His people continue to betray and ignore His promises, He continues to forgive them and restore them to His love. What an awesome God!  
 
Even now. Even now, when you may be in the worst sin of your life. Even now, when you have forsaken God for the past 5 years to go your own direction. He still wants you to come to Him! I get emotional just thinking of this crazy love He has for His children. Thinking back on my past sins and how Christ pulled me out and brought me back to His fellowship, it is nothing short of a miracle. We don’t have to complete any rituals or try to be holy enough before we come to Him. He only wants our hearts to be completely His – no work required.
 
Prayer:
Oh Father, your compassions never fail and your love endures forever. Thank you for your love and for desiring my heart, even as undesirable as it is at times. Help me to remember how you want my heart, not any rituals or outward works. Give me the boldness to tell others about your love – those who need this restoration with you. “Because of your great love we are not overwhelmed, for your compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam 3:22-23)  

— Jason Elam, worship pastor, Clinton campus

Scripture:
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” — 1Tim 6:6-8
 
Observation:
This scripture tells us the key to great gain is godliness paired with contentment. When we were born on this earth we had nothing, and when we die to go live in heaven we will take nothing with us. The apostle Paul is telling the believers to be content with their basic needs being met.
 
Application:
What a true word and reminder from Paul about how we should be living. As we are trying to sell our home and looking for a new home out in Clinton, we are working through the meaning of contentment. In this materialistic culture we are so tempted to keep up with our peers. This may be for some to spend too much money on a nice home, to overspend on designer clothes or a new vehicle that we can’t afford. I know that I cannot be godly in the least, if I am not content with what I’ve been blessed with.
 
Contentment is something I must continually strive towards, because my earthly, vain desires have a way of creeping back in, even with something so petty as seeing someone’s new i-phone. As Christians, we are called to be the example of contentment for unbelievers, but we seem to live just like the world most of the time, above our means that is. Jesus knew this would be hard for us, and gave us instructions to store up our treasures in heaven so our focus would remain on our heavenly goal. (Matt 6:19-21)
 
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for always providing for my needs. Every good gift comes from you. Forgive me for coveting my neighbor’s possessions, and renew my mind to the truth of your word. Help me as I focus on my heavenly treasures, to release any desires for earthly gain that I have buried in my heart. May I live a life worthy of my calling by remaining content in your provision, because I am focused on you, my heavenly Lord. Praises and thanks be to Your name, Jehovah Jireh.

— Jason Elam, worship pastor, Clinton campus

Scripture:
“The sins of some men are quite evident going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.” — 1 Tim. 5:24-25
 
Observation:
In this verse, Paul is warning Timothy not to make judgments on people based on his first encounter with them. As some time passes he will be able to see their true character as their deeds reveal themselves. This is written just after he warns Timothy not to be hasty in laying hands on or approving people in the church.
 
Application:
This verse serves as a good warning for us believers and to our church body. As I meditate over this scripture, Proverbs 4:23 comes to mind. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Just because someone seems to be a “good person” doesn’t mean we should trust him completely before we really get to know him better. This applies to friendships and dating relationships. Much pain and sin could be avoided by not being hasty in giving others so much weight in our lives.
 
The same applies to our church in its everyday functions. We as a church body must give people time before approving them before the congregation or giving them leadership positions in the church. This serves to help protect the name of Christ before unbelievers. Some people, not excluding Christians, can hide their sins very well, and once they are revealed Christ’s name is damaged in others’ eyes.
 
Prayer:
Father, I pray for my own discernment as I serve in the worship ministry here at Pinelake. Help me to not be hasty in approving musicians or others because of their talent or personality, but give me patience to really get to know them first. Lord I also pray that we don’t try to hide our sins, but that we confess them to you and repent, so we will not damage your name and the work you are doing through us and our church. May your name be precious to us, and give us wisdom as we deal with others this week.  

— Jason Elam, worship pastor, Clinton campus

Scripture:
“…rather train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”— 1 Timothy 4:7-8

Observation:
In these verses, Paul is giving instructions to Timothy for the body of believers. He tells us to train ourselves to be godly. Unlike physical training, which offers only short term benefits, godliness offers us rewards for now and eternity and in all aspects of our lives – not just our bodies.

Application:
This scripture really grabbed me as I read over it. I recently began P90x, a vigorous workout regimen that demands a lot of time in training my body – getting it stronger and healthier. It requires a good hour to hour and a half to complete 6 days a week, and so far I’ve been very dedicated, (although it has only been one week). It bewilders me to think how easy I can fit this training into my day, yet how hard it is to “find time” to spend just me and God. If it’s not physical training for you, maybe you can relate with me be some other activity you tend to always have time for (golf, movies or tv, shopping, napping). As humans, it is easy to be focused on things that only have short term or immediate effects towards our happiness. Paul reminds us that our top priority should be our training in godliness, in other words getting to know God better and in turn becoming more like Him. Godliness doesn’t just happen, but requires time in the Word, prayer and serving. The benefit of this training not only immediate satisfaction by the Holy Spirit, but a lasting peace and contentment and reward for all of eternity with Christ.

Prayer:
“God, help me to value my time with You and in Your word more than I value getting in good shape physically or anything else that lures my affections away from You. When it comes to pursuing You, I want to “bring it”. I want to run after You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Grant me the resolve to stay strong in my pursuit of You when I feel like slacking off or just being lazy.

— Jason Elam, worship pastor, Clinton campus