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September 1, 2022
Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
“What is God’s plan for my life?”
This is a question I’ve asked myself and I am sure you have asked at some point in your life. It’s a great question, but a question we ask and hope to see quickly.
Paul Tells us in Romans 12:2 to essentially be IN the world and not OF it. Also he tells us to renew our mind… I have to imagine he is telling us to renew our minds to be more like Jesus, to fill ourselves up with more of Jesus, and to spend more time with our creator.
How can I know what God wants for my life if I don’t know God?
The answer is… we can’t.
I’ve come to learn, if I want to know what God’s will is for my life, I must be transformed by the renewing of my mind. Essentially, spend more time with Jesus.
It’s exactly what this verse is saying isn’t it? It says if we renew our mind and are transformed in that renewal, we will ultimately be able to see more clearly what God’s will is for our life.
The more I think about it, living in God’s will for our life will bring us more peace about our past, present, and future circumstances. We can trust that we are exactly where God wants us to be.
My encouragement for you is to dive deeper into the question, “What is God’s plan for my life?” and begin to explore GOD’s future for you, rather than YOUR future for you. Aligning with God’s will for our life will bring a peace, hope, and joy to our lives that we can’t explain outside of God.
What is God’s will for my life?
How can I begin to grow closer to God?
Who in my life can I encourage with this verse?
Dear God, thank you for the hope and life you’ve given us in Jesus. I pray we would find hope and life in you and not ourselves. I pray we will chase after you and your will for our lives so that we can ultimately further Your kingdom and enjoy the life you’ve given us. We love you. Amen.
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August 10, 2022
Romans 8:26
“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness…”
When I think about the word weakness, I think about areas in my life where I don’t feel confident or I need improvement. For the longest time my weakness was speaking. Not like literally speaking, but in front of a large group of people. It terrified me and after doing some research it seems like it terrifies a lot of people, which oddly comforted me less.
I found myself so nervous and anxious when I would go to speak. I didn’t do it a lot and when I did, it always felt like it was life or death. This thing better be perfect and I better not misspeak or else I would never be invited back and people would think I am insufficient.
None of these are actually true. Even if we absolutely fail when speaking, people have so much grace because they know how tough it is. I’ll never forget the first time I spoke in front of a large group. I was giving my testimony at FCA for the first time. I didn’t really practice, but I had all my notes in front of me. Train. Wreck.
It went about as bad as it could have. It didn’t make sense. It was hard to follow. It had no passion. It was dead and I was mortified. People were encouraging after, but in the kind of way where it was like they felt bad for me haha.
Fast forward to many years later. I was in the Dominican Republic for a mission trip with a team and was asked to speak on serving. I practiced my heart out and knew the message well. I still remember feeling anxious and nervous. Then I heard the Spirit almost whisper, “Colin… it’s not about you.. It’s about sharing Jesus. Do this and you will be successful no matter what. Lean on the Spirit and trust.”
A peace fell over me. In my weakness I was made strong. The Spirit gave me a peace prior to speaking I had never felt. I got up in front of everyone and spoke smoothly and clearly. I felt comforted and I felt confident. Not in myself… but in the Spirit of God.
My encouragement for you today is if yo uare facing something difficult or a weakness in your life is bringing you down. Lean on the Spirit. Pray to God and ask for comfort and confidence. Ask Him to remind you who you are and who He is. Allow the Spirit to help you in your weakness today.
God we love you and are so grateful for the truths you bring us through Your Word each day. Amen.
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EARNEST.
“… The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16
Earnest is an adjective defined as, resulting from or showing sincere and intense conviction.
I was recently convicted my prayers weren’t earnest enough. So here is my best effort at an earnest prayer to God. Please pray with me.
Dear God, We need you right now in this moment. I need you. I need you to help me open my heart, my eyes, and my ears to change. Change is necessary, especially right now. God help each of us individually. God help me. Help me to be the change I want to see in the world. I know words typed on a screen are not enough. I pray I wouldn’t just know that truth, but act on it and do something about the injustice that is taking place in our world. God I’m not perfect and I never will be. That is why I cling to your Son Jesus whom You sent for EVERY SINGLE ONE of us. I pray You would get ahold of the hearts of those in our world and help us to see each other as You see us: Loved. Forgiven. And as Family. Jesus we need you. Jesus we love you. Amen.
Have a great week.
C. Ly
Believe, Bible, Blessing, Christianity, Church, Encouragement, Faith, Forgive, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Life -
NEIGHBOR.
Luke 10:30-37 - Parable of the Good Samaritan
“Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.””
First off, I really hope each of you are doing well. I know life isn’t what everyone expected or hoped for right now. My prayer is when we take a deeper look at this parable, God will reveal some truth to help us through this unconventional time.
On to the text. What a way to begin a story. A Jewish dude was walking around and got robbed. Okay you have my attention, well done Jesus. He was beat up, stripped of his clothes, and left half dead. Okay now you really have my attention, Jesus! What do we have here? Where are you going with this one?
A priest came along. He has to help him. No? Well that seems off. The guy must be busy with other important priest things. A temple assistant came along. He has to help him. Maybe he isn’t as busy as the priest. He might help him… No? Well what the heck. Maybe he had things to do for the priest. A samaritan comes along. Oh he is despised too. He wouldn’t… Yes? Wait, Jesus are you sure you remember this right? I don’t know about this one.
This parable is absolutely timeless. People will never stop being beat up by life. People will never stop being stripped of their job or families. People will never stop feeling like life continues to knock them down.
I know that was really motivating.. couldn’t help myself. What are we supposed to do when life knocks us down like this? According to the parable there wasn’t much the Jewish man could do to help himself. There were three people however, who were given the opportunity to help him up and bring him life.
Unfortunately, the two you would expect to do something, didn’t. The one you didn’t expect, did. What is Jesus saying here? You don’t have to believe in Him or have it all figured out to love others. All you need is eyes to see a need and the heart to act on what you see.
Jesus doesn’t care how others think of you. He cares how you think of others. You could be the furthest thing from relevant in the worlds eyes, but still be impacting the kingdom tremendously just as the Samaritan did.
Everyone is called to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Everyone in this story would be considered a neighbor. Everyone ever is considered a neighbor. The difference between the three men who saw the Jewish man was that two of them didn’t act like a true neighbor. A true neighbor sets aside their own agenda to love others no matter what.
I believe we all have this potential, but many are withholding their love from others. There are too many excuses in the way. The thing with excuses is you will never run out of them. Trust me I know. I pass people all the time and I KNOW I should love them in some way, but I can easily talk myself out of it. What would happen if whenever we saw a need, we met it, no matter what?
This is what Jesus did. Jesus saw the need of the blind and met it. Jesus saw the need of the leper’s and met it. Jesus saw the need of the hungry and he met it. Another important point I believe Jesus is making is to do immeasurably MORE than what others would expect.
Read back through the story. The Good Samaritan not only took time out of his day to help the man. He used olive oil, wine, and bandages to help the man. These were not cheap items to come by in Ancient times. Then what did he do? Put him on his own donkey, brought him to a hotel, and basically said I will do whatever it takes to heal this man! Wow. Just wow.
I can only imagine how big this made Jesus smile. An unsuspecting man doing everything in his power to help someone else. Now that is what Jesus wants, people who are on a mission to serve and love others unconditionally.
Who around you has a need? I want to challenge you to go out, find a need, meet it, then do more. After that, sit back and watch God work. Love isn’t just a feeling, it’s an action that everyone needs to experience daily.
Dear Lord, thank you for being our rock in this storm. I pray you would give us open hearts and clear minds to serve others. Help us see a need and meet it this week. We love you and praise you. Amen.
Have a great week!
C. Lyman
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BELIEVE.
Do you know who Branch Rickey is? Most people don’t. He was the general manager for the St. Louis Cardinals in the early 1940’s. Soon after he transitioned to the same position with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943. Hoping for a bright future and some players to bring his team out of the last place spot in the division, Branch Rickey met Jackie Robinson. The rest is history…
Jackie Robinson is celebrated as one of the best players of all time and his impact on breaking the color barrier in sports has rippled throughout history. There is no doubt Jackie was an exceptional player, but he needed someone to believe in him. Branch Rickey was the man who believed in Jackie not only as a baseball player, but as a man.
I believe that in order to achieve anything significant in life, we all need someone to believe in us. Significant moments were a huge part of Jesus ministry. In the Bible, we refer to them as miracles.
In Luke 5, we step into the miracle of the paralyzed man. Something to know about this time period is that being paralyzed made you a huge social outcast. People wouldn’t touch you, look at you, or even be around you because of fear they might themselves become paralyzed or unclean. This paralyzed man was counted out and forgotten by everyone, except for a few men.
Scripture tells us in Luke 5:17-26 that the friends carried the paralyzed man to Jesus when they heard He was teaching. They arrived to the house and saw it was too crowed to get in. Determined, they climbed onto the top of the house and ripped open a hole in the roof. Soon after they lowered the paralyzed man in front of Jesus.
What happens next gives me goosebumps, in verse 20 it says, “seeing their faith, Jesus said to the young man, ‘Young man, your sins are forgiven.’” Excuse me what! Seeing whose faith? THEIR FAITH. The friends had every excuse to give up and quit believing. Too far of a walk, too crowded, too high of a roof, how are we going to lower him, what will people think?
These men believed in their friend and because of this Jesus was able to forgive him and heal him. Not because of what the paralyzed man did, but because of what others did for him.
Who has believed in you?
Think about it for a moment. Who in your life has really truly believed in you? It could be a parent, a coach, a teacher, a friend, or a sibling. There was someone along the journey of your life that believed and trusted in your abilities and helped you get to where you are now. They sacrificed time, effort, finances, and countless other things for you to take a step closer to your dream.
Text the person/people who have believed in you and say, “Thank you.”
Who do you need to believe in?
There are so many people around us who need someone to believe in them. We all act like we have our lives figured out. We post about our life like we don’t have problems, but the truth is.. everyone is going through something. I promise you. If you talk to someone long enough and ask the right questions, no ones life is perfect. There is doubt, there is anxiousness, there is lack of belief.
Look around, who in your life needs someone to believe in them. Is it a close friend, is it a sibling, is it a parent, a cousin. Find someone to start believing in because this is when their full potential will begin to unleash. People will never admit it, but they are starving for encouragement. They are starving for someone to care about them. Be that person in someones life today.
A wise man once said, “Watch your thoughts.They become words. Watch your words. They become actions. Watch your actions. They become habits. Watch your habits. They become character. Character is everything.”
Believing in others begins with your mind. Thinking well of others and believing in others the same way you want others to believe in you. What a world that would be huh? A world where everyone believes in others hopes and dreams no matter how far off they seem.
When I think of believing in others, I can’t help but think of Jesus. Jesus believes in those who are counted out and forgotten. Jesus believes and loves those who don’t believe and love Him. Jesus belief isn’t conditional. It isn’t based on how good we are or how bad we are. Jesus belief and love for us is unconditional and is not circumstantial.
We need others to lift us higher than we are able to go alone. We need Jesus to help us stand in the calling He made for our life. Not one of paralyzation, but a calling of life and freedom.
Dear Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for being a consistent source of belief for us and in us. We love you. Amen.
Have a great week!
Colin
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CIRCUMSTANCE.
It was a normal day just like any other and I see my phone light up, a call from my dad. Excited, I jump up and answer, “Hey Dad! How’s it going?” He said, “It’s going okay! Are you alone? Are you busy?” “No dad, what’s up? Is everything okay?” I said.
My dad then responded with words I thought I would never hear. “Colin, I have cancer.” I went silent as I listened to the strongest man I know tell me about the results a CT scan revealed on his kidney. Disbelief. Shock. Choked up and struggling to find the words to say, I prayed what was the scariest and toughest prayer of my life.
I hung up the phone and sat on my bed, weeping. I’ve never cried like this before. My hero, my rock, my biggest fan… cancer. It’s incredible what news like this will do to you. At first it was anger, confusion, and sadness, but I knew I needed to be strong for my dad. I knew I needed to do something.
After the news settled in, we were able to get some time together. It’s amazing how conversations change and mindsets shift when you have a sense of urgency. I cherished our time more than ever the past few weeks. Watching football, playing games, and eating food together. Simple things, but profound and divine moments that are powerful if we make them.
With these tough times comes a decision. Am I going to run away from Jesus or run to Jesus? If I am being honest, my first instinct was to run away, to hide, and to try and figure this out myself. After a few days, I knew I needed to draw near to Jesus and ask for His help in this.
Our verses today remind us to rejoice always. In the big moments and the small moments. Good news and bad news. We are allowed to be sad, but we cannot allow this news to define us. My dad is better at this than I am.
We are reminded to pray continually. I have talked more with Jesus since my dad called that day than ever. During moments where life doesn’t make sense, pray.
And lastly, give thanks in all circumstances. I am inspired by my dad. You can imagine the thoughts that rush in when you hear something like this. You can imagine how some might just throw in the towel. Like When storms come you have a choice, you can either run towards it or run away from it. My dad chose to run towards it.
Working out, leading at work, and going to church weekly are a few steps he has taken to try and help his body, mind, and spirit for this journey. It won’t be easy, but I know that God has His hand in this situation. I know God will protect my dad and continue to let all things work together for His glory and our good. I know that my dad is going to win this fight.
Circumstances don’t define us, it’s how we respond that defines us.
Dear Lord, thank you for giving us your Spirit as a gift as we go throughout life on this earth. Thank you for giving me an amazing father who has touched every life he has come into contact with. I pray you protect him and give him peace as he continues to fight. Thank you for your son Jesus. Amen.
Have a great day!
C. Ly
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TIME.
This is one of the last sentences Jesus speaks to His disciples before he ascends into heaven. The disciples had to be feeling pretty emotional in this moment. I mean… this guy just performed miracle after miracle, was crucified, buried, and rose from the dead! I would have a few questions for Jesus like, “Hey.. uhm.. Jesus.. what just happened?! Can you explain all of this a little better for us? Could you let us know your plan now?
Jesus amidst the impatience and questions gives us this verse, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.” Uhm what?! Come on Jesus we have been faithful! We have followed you all this time. Can you just give us a hint at least. Pretty please?
Jesus didn’t want to spoil the surprise. Jesus doesn’t want to spoil the surprise He has for your life either. It’s hard following Jesus sometimes because we aren’t sure where He will take us. I believe following Jesus can also be fun and exciting!
I couldn’t have ever imagined being where I am right now. I’m sure you feel the same way. There have been highs and there have most definitely been lows. Jesus doesn’t promise a perfect future, but He does promise to be with you in the future. He promises to be with you right now. I know too that He has been with you all along.
Reminding ourselves of this is key. Our nature is to feel like we have to be in control. It is what the world tells us. Our schedules, our time, our job, our relationships, and our future are all things we try to control and get a handle on. Often times they don’t turn out how we plan.
We can, however, get clarity on these things. How? Spending time with Jesus. I notice a sense of wandering and lostness when I am not spending time with Jesus. On the other hand, when I am in His word, talking to Jesus, and worshiping Him; I find a sense of peace. My vision becomes more clear each day I draw near to Him.
Time is a tricky thing, as is the future. If you are struggling at all or want clarity or comfort in these things, ask Jesus. Ask Him to reveal your hopes and dreams. I won’t promise you will get an audible answer or a five step process to follow. I will promise He will open your eyes to things you haven’t seen before.
Take some time today to talk with Jesus. Any questions or worries you have, bring them to His feet. If He doesn’t answer, try again later, and again, and again.
Jesus is worth following. He is worth our time. Especially during uncertain times in our life. Jesus is a source of life that will never leave us.
Dear Lord, thank you for today and the promise of joy You have given us. Help us to come to you when things don’t make sense. Help us to find peace right now, in this moment. We trust You and we love You. Amen.
Have a great day!
C. Ly
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REPORT.
As I am reading this verse over and over, I find myself during the time of Jesus. I imagine what induced Paul to say this. “… your faith is being reported all over the world.” These people must have been the TALK. You know what the TALK is right? No no no, not the one you had in middle school. That’s THE TALK. I’m talking about the people who were the talk of the town.
Today, I think of the TALK, as people who are always in the news or on twitter. Anyone from Donald Trump to Kanye West to Lamar Jackson to Elon Musk just to name a few. Good or bad, these people are being talked about on every platform daily. This is how I imagine Paul sees the faith of the church of Rome.
Now hold up, what did these people do that is such a big deal? How is their faith being reported all over the world? What is the deal? Well, Rome was the world power at the time. It was believed by many to be the center of world culture. If you ask me, the Roman Christians must have done some stand out acts of service and obedience in a fairly wicked and foolish environment.
Every time I read Romans 1:8 I think to myself, “I want to be like these Roman Christians!” I want my faith to be talked about all over the world. I mean who wouldn’t. Quickly, I am reminded of Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Jesus wants us to succeed. Jesus wants us to have a platform. Jesus wants us to be the best. Why? Because He wants to use us in glorifying His name. You see we are called to glorify God in all that we do. Whether you are a janitor, in school, a salesman, a doctor, a cashier, or a chef; Jesus wants you to be the best despite your circumstances or what others think of you.
My challenge for you today is to take a step back. Look at your life and find an area you have been taking for granted. Find an area of your life where you have been holding back and ask God, “Help me to be the best at this for you. Help me to make this less about me and more about You Jesus. Teach me how I can better glorify Your name. Amen.”
Dear Lord, thank you for the examples of faith that have come before us. I pray that you allow us to learn from them and be an example of faith for others in the future. Allow us to live in such a way that has to be noticed. Thank you Jesus for paying the ultimate price for us. We love you. Amen.
Have a great day!
C. Ly
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GIVEN.
Matthew 25:40
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
A research study found that an individual who makes $32,400 a year or more is in the top 1% of income earners in the world. THE WORLD. By American standards that amount of money is not considered wealthy at all. It is actually considered almost lower class by many income surveys. Americans, for the most part, have been given SO MUCH in regards to wealth compared to the rest of the world. So what are we to do with what we have been given?
What does this mean for me? Luke 12:48 tells us, “To whom much is given, much is required.” Jesus was the ultimate example of this verse. Jesus used all He had to serve and love others. He lived a perfect life and ultimately showed us how to live out this verse by giving up His life for us. Don’t lose me on this; Jesus isn’t calling us to physically DIE, at least I don’t think so. But I do believe Jesus is calling us to die to ourselves and give to others, especially those in need.
“What do I have to give? What can I share with others? I feel like I have nothing to offer!” These are some thoughts I myself have even had. After some reflection there are three things, I believe, we have all been given by God that we can use to serve others. The first is ability. You have been given a gift by God. Yes you! I know this for a fact. It could be your ability to knit, your ability to be creative, to sing, to dance, or even your ability to make food! We have all been given some sort of ability or talent from God. Find a way to serve others using this ability!
The second thing you have been given is time. There are community outreach opportunities no matter where you are in the world. Use your time wisely. It is one of the greatest gifts God has given you. Maybe instead of watching TV one night, you volunteer at a food pantry. I don’t know, but the best way to know is to ask God to reveal the gifts He has given you and go from there.
The third thing you have been given is money/possessions. This is something I have been struggling with because even when I have everything I need, the world tells me I need more. What if we changed our mindset. Instead of thinking, “What can I get for myself?” We say, “Who can I get something for?” Serving about others will always fill our hearts more than a new pair of shoes or a new outfit could ever. This is a promise Jesus gives us.
Look guys, I have always been intimidated by this whole serving thing. I feel like there are so many problems and it would take something huge to fix it all. Remember that serving others doesn’t have to be something huge. My pastor Tyler always says, “Small acts done with great love can change the world.” If you want to see your world change, start by using what God has given you to serve others. And like our verse today says, by serving others less fortunate, you will be serving Jesus.
What gifts has God given me?
How can I use my gifts to serve others?
Dear Lord, thank you for constantly speaking into our lives with words of wisdom. I pray you open our eyes to the gifts You have given us and help us use these gifts to serve Your people. We love you and we praise you. Amen!
Have a great day!
C. Lyman
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CALM.
Matthew 8:26
He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and the waves, and it was completely calm.
There comes a point in your life where you are called to go somewhere you have never been. Maybe you haven’t been through this. Maybe you are going through this right now. You are being called into something more. You are being called to go. Wherever you are currently at, we all go through something like this. A time where we feel called to go to the other side. Somewhere we have never experienced. Somewhere God so desperately wants us to be because He wants to challenge us, inspire us, and stretch us into who we are meant to be.
Jesus does this earlier in Matthew 8:18, “When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.” The best part about this is that Jesus calls them into this, but doesn’t let them do it alone. Jesus actually leads the way. He FIRST gets into the boat and then the men follow Him. Guys.. Jesus doesn’t call us into something and expect us to do it alone. He leads us into things and guides us the entire way.
It doesn’t end there. The story continues, and a storm hits the men as they are crossing the lake. “What the heck! Right when I do what Jesus asks me to do, things get hard! What is going on…” I am sure these were the thoughts of the men in the boat. I am sure these are some thoughts you have experienced as well. You take a step of faith. You take that new job. You move to that new area. All the sudden, things get tough, if not TOUGHER. “Isn’t it supposed to get easier when I am obedient? This is what I thought Jesus wanted me to do! Where is he now!?”
Jesus never promises life to get easier, but He does promise hope. He does promise to calm the storms. Our verse for today reminds us of this. Storms are on their way, whether we like it or not. So how are we going to handle them? For me, I want someone I can walk through the storms with. I want someone who is going to bring me peace when the storm hits.
Jesus is the answer. Jesus is this promise. When you are called to go to the other side, remember that He is with you. Remember that it won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.
What is God calling me to step into?
How can I begin to trust Jesus more today?
What can I pray God to bring peace to in my life?
Dear Lord, thank you for the hope you give us. Thank you for always being with us. Thank you for loving us despite our lack of faith at times. We love you so much and I pray we show you every day by loving others and worshiping you more. Amen.
Have a great day!
C. Lyman
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COLIN's CORNERSTONE 