Tag Archives: words of Jesus

The good shepherd (John 10:1-5), March 4, 2017

Today’s Podcast

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
We can learn a lot from shepherds. Stick around and I’ll tell you about the one I met in Germany.
Scripture
1. John 10:1-5
2. Jesus: I tell you the truth: the man who crawls through the fence of the sheep pen, rather than walking through the gate, is a thief or a vandal. The shepherd walks openly through the entrance. The guard who is posted to protect the sheep opens the gate for the shepherd, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When all the sheep have been gathered, he walks on ahead of them; and they follow him because they know his voice. The sheep would not be willing to follow a stranger; they run because they do not know the voice of a stranger.
Devotional
1. While living in Germany, we lived above some vineyards but also had some pretty good pasture land in the back of the house above those vineyards even though we lived in the suburbs of Wurzburg. A few times during our stay there, we had a shepherd visit those fields.
  1. Weather beaten and aged
  2. Two dogs to help care for the sheep
  3. Carried everything he needed on his back and herded the sheep to open fields around the countryside ‘
  4. Build makeshift pens at night with poles and rope
  5. Laid his lean to across the entrance
2. Dogs were an important tool for the shepherd
  1. Protected the sheep
  2. Kept enemy away
  3. Kept sheep herded into a common area
  4. Listened to every command
  5. Obeyed immediately
3. Sheep recognized the shepherd’s voice, too
  1. Called and they would gather around him
  2. Knew it was time to move on
  3. Time to bed down
  4. Time of safety or time of danger
4. Animals seem to learn so much faster than people sometimes
  1. Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd
  2. After watching that shepherd in Germany a few times I learned a lot about how shepherds interact with their sheep
  3. Not always gentle, but always loving and with their best interests in mind
  4. Not always the easiest path, but the path that will get them to the best pastures in the end
  5. Not always the way that seems best to the sheep and He has to push and pull them sometimes with those dogs nipping at their heels until they sometimes bleed, but always taking the best care of them
  6. They hear his voice and follow wherever he leads them
5. We could learn a lot from those sheep and the good shepherd
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

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The verdict is in, guilty as charged (John 9:39-14), March 3, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Guilty! Caught in the act and no defense can free you. Now what do you do? There is no escape, or is there?
Scripture
1. John 9:39-41
2. Jesus: I have entered this world to announce a verdict that changes everything. Now those without sight may begin to see, and those who see may become blind.

Some Pharisees (who overheard Jesus): Surely we are not blind, are we?

Jesus: If you were blind, you would be without sin. But because you claim you can see, your sin is ever present.

Devotional
1. The evidence stacks up. There is no doubt. Any question of innocence has been swept away with the overwhelming reality of what lies before the judge. There is no question of the outcome. You stand at the defendant’s table with no defense. Head down, heart pounding, you know what the only verdict can be guilty because you did it. You know you did it and God, the Judge knows you did it.
  1. Something amazing happens
  2. You’re forgiven
  3. Free to live, just follow Me
  4. Past is forgotten, files stacked on the bench just disappear
2. What we deserve
  1. Punishment for our sin
  2. Bible says only adequate punishment for our disobedience is death
  3. Separation from Him because He is a holy God and abhors evil
  4. All the ills and evil that the world can throw at us because of our selfish desires and ungodly behavior
3. What He gives us when we come to Him with a contrite heart in true repentance
  1. Grace – unmerited, undeserved favor with Him
  2. Mercy – not what we deserve
  3. Forgiveness
  4. Sins forgotten – cast into the sea to be remembered no more
  5. Loving embrace
  6. Adoption into His family
4. When we believe in Him we begin to see the law can only condemn us
5. When we trust in Him for forgiveness of our sins, we experience His grace and mercy
  1. Able to feel His spirit invade our life and change our outlook
  2. Able to extend His grace and mercy to others
  3. Able to introduce Him to others because His love reaches out through us
6. Jesus announces a new verdict that changes everything. Feel the grace and joy that brings when you accept His gift of love into your heart
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Who visits your church? (John 9:35-37), March 2, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Here’s an odd question that you probably shouldn’t know, but should make you think about the welcome your church provides. How many alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes, and adulterers visit your congregation regularly?
Scripture
1. John 9:35-37
2. The religious leaders banished him [the blind man Jesus healed] from their presence. Jesus heard what had happened and sought out the man.

Jesus: Do you believe in the Son of Man?

Formerly Blind Man: I want to believe, Lord. Who is He?

Jesus: You have seen His face with your new eyes, and you are talking to Him now.

Devotional
1. In the Sunday School class I’ve been attending the last couple of weeks, we talked about the way the church has done exactly what the religious leaders of Jesus’ day did.
  1. Alcoholics
  2. Drug addicts
  3. Homosexuals
  4. We don’t want anything to do with “those” people
  5. We don’t want to tarnish our congregation with the wrong kind of people
2. We even take our dislike for anyone that doesn’t agree with us to the streets
  1. Protests
  2. Facebook
  3. Twitter
  4. But is God happy with our approach?
3. Jesus ate with tax collectors, prostitutes, thieves, the people the Pharisees and religious leaders wouldn’t come near
  1. Why?
  2. Until you build a relationship with someone they won’t listen to what you have to say
  3. He never condoned their sinful action
  4. But He still loved them as one of God’s creations
  5. Jesus saw the potential of what God could make them instead of what sin had made them
4. Remember the woman caught in adultery?
  1. Who can say they have never sinned?
  2. No matter how large or how small, disobedience separates us from God
  3. Look at that first act that banished Adam from God’s presence, he ate fruit from a forbidden tree, how horrible is that compared to the sins we think are so much more egregious than something we might do
  4. Paul’s list
    1. Gluttony
    2. Gossip
    3. Dissension
    4. These separate us from God as surely as murder, kidnapping, rape, homosexuality, or any other law you might bring to mind
5. With that in mind, how should we change our approach personally and as churches to all those Jesus would have befriended? Don’t you think it’s time we welcome them instead of tossing them out?
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

God won’t be a scapegoat (John 9:3-5), March 1, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
It sure is easy to blame someone else for the trouble we face, isn’t it? And it’s really easy to blame God. He’s a good scapegoat, but it usually doesn’t work out when we do.
Scripture
1. John 9:3-5
2. Jesus: Neither. His blindness cannot be explained or traced to any particular person’s sins. He is blind so the deeds of God may be put on display. While it is daytime, we must do the works of the One who sent Me. But when the sun sets and night falls, this work is impossible. Whenever I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.
Devotional
1. God came into the garden in the cool of the day. He wanted to talk with Adam after his day’s work was done. A day filled with caring for the creation over which God had given him dominion. Adam tilled the soil, harvested crops, cared for the animals in the garden. Life was really good. Work was satisfying. His companionship with Eve and God and the rest of creation seemed perfect. At least until this day.
  1. Sin had entered in
  2. Adam broke the perfect relationship he had with God because of his disobedience
  3. He felt his guilt and shame
  4. God came into the garden and what did his sin cause him to do?
  5. Adam and Eve both hid
    1. Their bodies from God and each other
    2. Sewed fig leaves together
    3. Hid behind the vegetation when God came to the garden
2. We all have a tendency to blame someone else for our sin
  1. Devil made me do it
  2. He tempted me
  3. He gave me the fruit
  4. Adam even blamed God as do we
  5. It’s God’s fault we fail to do what He asks
3. Until we own our faults and failures we cannot find healing from our sins
  1. If we confess our sins, He is able
  2. Opposing message, if we do not confess our sins, He is not able to forgive us
  3. Why? We fail to take ownership of our wrongs
  4. We fail to recognize our need for Him
  5. We fail to understand just how depraved and hopeless we are without Him
4. Jesus can work in and through us, but only when we are open and honest with Him and others. We must be vulnerable with Him. We must recognize just how much we need His grace, forgiveness, Him.
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

What stories do you tell? (John 8:49-58), February 28, 2018

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
What stories do you tell those you want to win to Christ? Are they believable? Sometimes Jesus’ stories weren’t very believable. So what should we do?
Scripture
1. John 8:49-58
2. Jesus: I’m not taken by demons. You dishonor Me, but I give all glory and honor to the Father. But I am not pursuing My own fame. There is only One who pursues and renders justice. I tell you the truth, anyone who hears My voice and keeps My word will never experience death.

Jews: We are even more confident now that You are demon-possessed. Just go down the list: Abraham died, the prophets all died. Yet You say, “If you keep My word, you will never taste death.” Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died; remember? Prophets—are any of them still alive? No. Who do You think You are?

Jesus: If I were trying to make Myself somebody important, it would be a waste of time. That kind of fame is worth nothing. It is the Father who is behind Me, urging Me on, giving Me praise. You say, “He is our God,” but you are not in relationship with Him. I know Him intimately; even if I said anything other than the truth, I would be a liar, like you. I know Him, and I do as He says. Your father Abraham anticipated the time when I would come, and he celebrated My coming.

Jews: You aren’t even 50 years old, yet You have seen and talked with Abraham?

Jesus: I tell you the truth; I AM before Abraham was born.

Devotional
1. I grew up in the church. I’ve heard these scriptures all my life. I believe them. God’s spirit touches mine and I know they are true because of it. He has proven Himself to me over and over. But imagine hearing these words coming from Jesus for the first time.
  1. These men didn’t want to believe Him
    1. Uneducated carpenter’s son
    2. Doesn’t follow their rules
    3. Disrupts the religious order of the day
  2. He’s talking about something they cannot comprehend
  3. Everyone dies, so His words don’t make sense to them
  4. Compares Himself with God
2. Sometimes we forget most of the world today has not heard the story
  1. Less that 50% of Americans claim any religious affiliation
  2. Christianity pushed into the background and even considered hate speech in some circles
  3. Stories are still confusing and unbelievable as they were in Jesus’ day
    1. Miracles
    2. Resurrection
    3. Never die
3. Why do I mention this?
  1. Our mission is to go and make disciples
  2. Need to know the mindset of those to whom we speak
  3. They will sometimes be unaware of the language you speak
  4. They may have no concept of the things you take for granted as a believer
  5. They may think your stories about Jesus are fantasy and as real as Star Wars
  6. They need to hear about the change in your life and see the difference He makes every day for you
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Why don’t I understand? (John 8:42-47), February 27, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Two languages = bilingual; three languages = trilingual; one language = American
Scripture
1. John 8:42-27)
2. Jesus: I come from the one True God, and I’m not here on My own. He sent Me on a mission. If God were your Father, you would know that and would love Me. You don’t even understand what I’m saying. Do you? Why not? It is because You cannot stand to hear My voice. You are just like your true father, the devil; and you spend your time pursuing the things your father loves. He started out as a killer, and he cannot tolerate truth because he is void of anything true. At the core of his character, he is a liar; everything he speaks originates in these lies because he is the father of lies. So when I speak truth, you don’t believe Me. If I speak the truth, why don’t you believe Me? If you belong to God’s family, then why can’t you hear God speak? The answer is clear; you are not in God’s family. I speak truth, and you don’t believe Me. Can any of you convict Me of sin?
Devotional
1. I’ve lived in San Antonio, Texas for almost 18 years. Almost 65% of the population is hispanic so Spanish is a prevalent language in the city and surrounding area. In fact, in many retail stores in the area, you must be bilingual to work there. This isn’t a discussion about whether that is good or bad, right or wrong, just a fact of when and where I live today.
  1. Despite living here almost 18 years i don’t speak and understand very little Spanish
  2. I hear it everywhere. I see it everywhere, but I just don’t get it.
2. Contrast with my living in Germany for just three years while I was in the service.
  1. Lived on the economy, not on a military installation
  2. Landlords didn’t speak English
  3. Spoke and wrote passable German within a few months and fairly fluent before we left country; primary language for my four year old
3. Thought about those two difference in understanding languages when I read Jesus’ words
  1. I wanted to learn German
  2. Although it would be helpful, my heart isn’t into learning Spanish
  3. I took the time and energy to learn the language and listen to those around me; I asked questions when I didn’t understand
  4. I mostly ignore the Spanish I hear around me unless I need to hear something specific from someone who doesn’t speak English; I seldom ask questions about words or phrases
4. Same is true in a sense with spiritual language
  1. Do we listen to the language God speaks to us through His words?
    1. Love
    2. Grace
    3. Mercy
  2. Or do we ignore it because we’re just not interested in know what He is saying, much the way I treat the Spanish I hear around me
  3. So the issue at hand. There are two spiritual languages. One comes from God, who speaks only the truth, the other comes from the father of lies. Listen again to the questions and comments Jesus had for the Jews around Him that day. They are just as applicable to us.
  4. I come from the one True God, and I’m not here on My own. He sent Me on a mission. If God were your Father, you would know that and would love Me. You don’t even understand what I’m saying. Do you? Why not? It is because You cannot stand to hear My voice. You are just like your true father, the devil; and you spend your time pursuing the things your father loves. He started out as a killer, and he cannot tolerate truth because he is void of anything true. At the core of his character, he is a liar; everything he speaks originates in these lies because he is the father of lies. So when I speak truth, you don’t believe Me. If I speak the truth, why don’t you believe Me? If you belong to God’s family, then why can’t you hear God speak? The answer is clear; you are not in God’s family. I speak truth, and you don’t believe Me. Can any of you convict Me of sin?
5. Can you hear His voice and understand His words? If not, you might want to check the language you’re speaking.
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Act like Abraham (John 8:39-41), February 26, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Do you ever flatter anyone? Do you know the highest form of flattery? Let’s talk about it.
Scripture
1. John 8:39-41
2. Jesus: If you are truly Abraham’s children, then act like Abraham! From what I see you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that comes from the Father. This is not something Abraham would do, but you are doing what you have learned from your father.
Devotional
1. In 1820, Charles Caleb Colton wrote “imitation is the sincerest of flattery.” Although something similar appeared in the biography of Emperor Marcus Antoninus by Jeremy Collier in 1708 when the quoted the Emperor as saying, “you should consider that imitation is the most acceptable part of worship and that the gods had much rather mankind should resemble, than flatter them.”
2. Often told imitate habits of successful people
  1. Rise early
  2. Plan well ahead
  3. Pay attention to detail
  4. Anticipate problems and develop contingencies to deal with them
  5. Share success but own failure
  6. Read broadly
  7. Learn something every day
3. Wouldn’t expect to be successful if you did just the opposite
  1. Lazy
  2. Just let things happen
  3. Never thought through ways to recover from failure
  4. Push everyone away
  5. Blame everyone else for your own mistakes
4. We become very much like the people we imitate, whether we want to believe that or not
  1. Business
  2. Parenting
  3. husband/wife act like father/mother
  4. Friendships
  5. Spiritual life
5. Who are you watching to pattern your life?
  1. Jews said they patterned after Abraham, but just progeny; long dead
  2. Watched someone else
    1. Greed
    2. Pride
    3. Selfishness
6. Who do you watch? Who is your example?
  1. Accountability to peer
  2. Need human mentors
  3. Do they try their best to mimic Christ
    1. Accept failure
    2. Repent
    3. Own frailty
    4. Lean heavily on God
    5. Know what real success means
    6. Know priorities in life
7. Song titled “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”
  1. Watch Him
  2. Anyone between you and Him is closer to Him than you are
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The King’s Son and His power (John 8:34-36), February 25, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
There are few true monarchies any more. Most are democracies with a monarch as a head of state, like in Great Britain or Monaco. But we are fascinated by their ancestry, who is next in line for the throne, the hidden secrets of the royal family. We love stories about the palace, don’t we?
Scripture
1. John 8:34-36
2. Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.
Devotional
1. Even in America, we get a lot of buzz about Prince William and Kate. They have revitalized the monarchy in Great Britain in the last few years. Every generation of the monarchy, tracing its history back to Egbert of Wessex reign about 800, looks for that first born son to rule as king of the united empire.
  1. See the authority used wisely and foolishly
  2. Always in the news
  3. People are interested in their lives because their lives influence them in a direct way
  4. Much more so in the past than today, but still they play an important role in the politics of the nation as the head of state for the country
2. Everyone keeps up with the descendants
  1. Who is next in line if something happens to William?
  2. What if both he and his brother died at or near the same time?
  3. Who is next in line for the throne?
  4. What is their character and how will they lead?
  5. Not so anxious for Charles to take the throne, but excited for William to lead because of his appeal to the common people.
3. King carries tremendous weight in a monarchy
  1. We don’t understand it in our democracy
  2. We elect representatives to write and execute our laws on our behalf
  3. True monarchies have a king that decides it all. The king rules.
  4. He determines who lives and dies and how people progress between those two points of birth and death
  5. Generally the kingdom passes down to the heir unless overthrown in battle or he abdicates the throne for personal or political reasons
4. Those listening to Jesus thought they could stand on their pedigree, their ancestry as descendants of Abraham to do as they please just as a prince might extend his rights because of his position to the throne.
  1. Jesus stops their argument
  2. Commands come from the real King of kings, creator
  3. Jesus, His son has power they do not have because they are only human, not divine
5. The question is who is your father? God or Abraham? Heavenly or earthly? Divine or human? Who do you follow? Your choice
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Imposing on our freedoms (John 8:31-32), February 24, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Have you ever considered just how many laws we must follow every day? Some are so old and archaic they don’t just border on the ridiculous, they fell off the cliff long ago. Here are a couple to consider: It is illegal to milk another person’s cow. The entire Encyclopedia Britannica is banned in Texas because it contains a formula for making beer at home. It is illegal for one to shoot a buffalo from the second story of a hotel. Talk about imposing on our freedoms!
Scripture
1. John 8:31-32
2. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Devotional
1. In this country, we talk a lot about freedom. But I think sometimes we have a real misconception about what freedom really means.
  1. Definition: 1.the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint: He won his freedom after a retrial. 2. exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc. 3. the power to determine action without restraint. 4. political or national independence. 5. personal liberty, as opposed to bondage or slavery: a slave who bought his freedom. 6. exemption from the presence of anything specified (usually followed by from): freedom from fear. 7. the absence of or release from ties, obligations, etc.
  2. We can define it, but can we really live within the scope of these words?
  3. Not without infringing on the freedom of someone else except for perhaps the first, at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint
  4. All others are illusions if we live in community with others to maintain order and preservation of the community
2. Look at definitions
  1. Exemption from external control – establish laws and regulations to govern our behavior for the health and safety of the community
  2. Power to determine action without restraint – laws and regulations restrain our actions, cannot do anything we want
  3. Political or national independence – no nation is completely independent in today’s society, we are interdependent because of the trade, commerce, migration of people from state to state, negotiate our freedoms to avoid conflict
  4. Personal liberty – we talk often about the loss of personal liberties: some speech today puts you in jail – hate speech; loss of religious freedoms; debates about what Second Amendment means; even where you live (codes), how much you can make (taxes), and more
  5. Exemption from the presence of anything specified (usually followed by from): freedom from fear – often an emotion that still lingers and we cover with some tools we’ve learned
  6. Absence of or release from ties, obligations, etc. – just as with laws and regulations, we will always live under some kind of laws as long as we live
3. Man’s laws are fickle and always changing, difficult to understand and impossible to follow
4. Follow God, His rules have never changed. Believe in Jesus for forgiveness and life. His spirit will live in you to help you live His within the laws He gives, freedom from the oppression and guilt of the laws that burden others.
  1. Know the rules
  2. Know the spirit of what God wants for your life
  3. Know the truth of who God is and what He wants
  4. Know freedom because of who you belong to and whose rules you fall under
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Pleasing the Father (John 8:28-29), February 23, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
How hard did you work to make your father pleased when you were a kid? I sometimes worked really hard, but often failed miserably. My early days of sitting on the front pews of the church were often accompanied by spanking for my misbehavior when I got home. Not exactly pleasing behavior, I expect.
Scripture
1. John 8:28-29
2. They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”
Devotional
1. I’m a preacher’s kid. Growing up, my brother and I usually sat on the front seat so my dad could keep an eye on us.
  1. Had a problem sitting still
  2. Got in trouble almost every service
  3. I wanted to please my father, but just had to cut up with my brother instead of paying attention to the service
  4. I knew the rules, sit still, be quiet, and listen
  5. I could only do that for a little while when I was in elementary school
  6. Wanted to please, but got in trouble a lot
2. We’re like that with THE Father
  1. We know the rules
  2. We know when we are about to break them
  3. We know what He wants from us and how He wants us to behave
  4. Like little kids that can’t sit still, we can’t please Him sometimes
  5. We do our own thing instead of obeying
  6. And we get in trouble
3. As I matured, I learned to appreciate what the pastor was saying
  1. First my dad
  2. Later other pastors
  3. I still want to please my earthly father
  4. I want to please my heavenly Father more
4. Always present to help me know how to please Him
  1. Sometimes have to guess with our earthly fathers
  2. We think we know what they want, but we don’t
  3. God lives with us and in us to guide us if we will listen to His voice
  4. Earthly fathers can’t be with us all the time to help us through life and let us know what they want. God can and does
  5. Earthly fathers change their minds and change the rules sometimes
  6. God never does, His plan for our salvation has not changed since the beginning of time and Adam’s first sin
5. Do I always please Him?
  1. No
  2. But He always forgives when I ask in true repentance
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”