Nov 25, 2019 | #MotivationMondayatCapri, General, Post
Paul gives us some standards for Christian living in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22, but the one most appropriate for this time of year is verse 18. “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” In everything, give thanks, sometimes easier said than done. When the doctor gives you his prognosis, when your child has an accident or is in financial trouble, when the car dies on a dark deserted road, give thanks? Not always the first thing to pop into our heads. Thank you Lord for this disaster, but … disasters make us grow, and grow stronger. If you don’t exercise your body, it will grow weak and eventually atrophy. Same with your faith. He knows where you are and what you need and He will supply what you need at just the right time. While He may be strengthening you through trials, He may also be strengthening the faith of someone who is watching how you handle your difficulties. Give thanks in all things, it is His will for you. Look at your trials as another blessing. Compared to the rest of the world, as Americans we are ridiculously blessed. I don’t know if God still loves America, but He certainly continues to bless it. Take time, not only this Thursday, but every day to thank Him for all of your incredible blessings, both good and not so!
Nov 25, 2019 | #MotivationMondayatCapri, General, Post
Because of some personal tragedy that has befallen them, some people think God doesn’t care about them or doesn’t understand their pain. Then why did He send His Son to walk the earth? Why did Jesus walk with the hurting, the sick, the outcasts? Then why did He heal their sicknesses, raise their dead, restore the unclean, feed the hungry? Why did Jesus suffer and die? Why does He tell us to cast all our cares on Him? Because of His great compassion for us, He endured all of our frailities. God understands our pain, even to the loss of a child. He will always be there for us, in any circumstance, with understanding, compassion, and forgiveness, just waiting for us to turn to Him. He has set the example for us to follow. As He has shown compasion on us, so should we do to others. We need to be sensitive to the hurts and needs of others, and not let them get lost as we persue our own agendas. We sometimes get so caught up in our own business, we fail to see the needs of the truly hurting all arouund us. The next six weeks are a great time to start getting serious about showing Christ’s compassion to others. Look around your community, then pray about what the Lord would have you do to show His love to others. No act of kindness is too small when it comes from a large heart of love.
Nov 25, 2019 | #MotivationMondayatCapri, General, Post
I love it when you ask someone if they go to church and they say the beach is my church or the forest or the mountains. Yeah, they are great places to be alone and spend time with God. Some of my favorite times were when I regularly kayaked two miles out in the open ocean or climbed a mountain alone in a wilderness area and would spend time with God … but that wasn’t church! Church has gotten a bad rap because of so called churches. Church is where Jesus, not man, is the head and His Word is believed and followed. Church is where you go and feel welcomed and loved. Church is where people are concerned about souls and where they will spend eternity. Church is where you are accepted, not because of your social status or worldly accomplishments, but because you are you. God loves you, He made you, He wants you to be a part of His family, and until He takes you home, the Church is where He wants you to be involved. The church is not a building, it’s a body. No church is perfect, too many imperfect people in them, but real churches are working at it. So spend time in nature, get away and get with God, then come back refreshed and be a part of a loving, caring family, His Church!
Nov 25, 2019 | #MotivationMondayatCapri, General, Post
Why is it so hard to pray? The Creator of all things wants to have a one on one time with you, wants to hear your heart, wants to hear your heart for others, wants to give you answers, but we are so busy with our mundane lives, so pressed for time that we barely squeeze off a quick memo when we get the chance. What is wrong with us? God wants you to talk to Him! Most people will barely listen to what you have to say while God wants to listen to you! We need to be like Daniel. Every day, three times a day, he spent time with God. Even the threat of being thrown to the lions didn’t deter him from his prayer time because he knew from his close relationship, God would deliver him. While we may not be literally thrown into a den of lions, every time we leave the house, to work or school or whatever, we are in the lions den. We need to have Daniel’s close relationship and God wants to have it too. You don’t need to be a pastor, priest, or prophet, your prayers are just as important and powerful. They don’t need to be flowery and theological, they only need to be from you. Take time to make time to recharge your prayer life and then take notes to record what happens. You’ll be amazed!
Nov 18, 2019 | #MotivationMondayatCapri
#MondayMotivationatCapri
There are a lot of nasty things and people out there and they can be kind of scary, but, think about this. The One who created all things, hung the stars in place, spun the planets (even Pluto) into orbit, made the waters and mountains and canyons, designed our complex, intricate bodies and did the same for animals and fish and birds, also sent His Son to live among us to show us His love and provide a way for us to be with Him for eternity! Think about that. He created this incredible world for us to live in temporarily and then gave us His Son so we would have a heavenly world to live in permanently! Wow! I guess that’s why Paul and the Psalmist avowed, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” God is definitely for us, that has never been an issue, but are you definitely for God? If you have given your heart to the Lord, then you can boldly say, “I’m not scared!” If the Creator of all things has got your back, what’s there to be afraid of? So, next time satan tries to frighten you with one thing or another, you just tell him, “I’m not scared! God is for me, who are you to even try to go against me?”
I’m Not Scared
Oct 22, 2019 | General, Post
Our beautiful ladies are having a great morning in their fall Bible Study.
“Before Amen” is video Bible Study by Max Lucado, that will help you to let go uncertainties about your prayer life.
Joins every Tuesday in October at 9:30 am or at 6 pm
Oct 21, 2019 | #MotivationMondayatCapri, Post
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” You always want to see where you’re going? The Psalmist just told you how. God’s Word is meant to lead us, guide us, and comfort us, and so much more. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man (and woman) of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The Bible is God’s letter of love to help us wind our way through the jungle of life and on into eternity. Say you had to go on a prolonged journey, but before you left you wrote your spouse a detailed letter telling them how to do certain things, handle the finances, raise the kids, and how much you loved them. Then after a couple years you return to find your house foreclosed, your kids running amok, and your spouse with a different partner. In total dismay, you ask how could this happen, didn’t you read my letter? They reply, the letter was always on the mantle, I just never opened it! Too many people that claim the name of Jesus, leave His letter lying around unopened. Don’t set unrealistic goals, but make it a priority to read His Word every day. Don’t just listen to pastors and TV evangelists, read it for yourself. Don’t simply accept what you hear from others, look it up and make sure that’s what God really said. He will speak to you through His Word. You’ll be amazed how little your feet will stumble as they are going down that lighted path!
Oct 15, 2019 | #MotivationMondayatCapri, Post
What should be the first thing anyone thinks of when they hear the word Christians? Of course, followers of Christ, but what is the first thing they think about the followers? That they are kind, loving, and giving or self-righteous, judgemental, and fundamental? Sadly, too often it is the latter. Then we need to change those opinions and become world evangelists. Not the whole world but the world around us! To help you do that, read 2 Peter 1:5-7 and follow his instructions to grow in grace.
Take your faith in the Lord and add virtue or moral excellence to it. Then grow in knowledge, study His word, know what He expects of you and what you are talking about. (zeal without knowledge is fanaticism) Next, develop your self control and then add patience. Peter knew what he was talking about, he didn’t just randomly make a list. It’s much easier to have patience when you already have self control. Now, being built up in those first five steps, you can display godliness as you show brotherly kindness and brotherly love to others. Obviously, to win the world to Christ we have to show them love and kindness but we must be first showing it to our brothers and sisters in the Lord. If the world doesn’t see us loving one another, why would they believe we would love them? Make it a priority, in all things, to follow Jesus’ example and love the unlovable. Yeah, He loves even us!
Oct 7, 2019 | #MotivationMondayatCapri, Post
You have to admit it, sometimes it really galls you to see people that you know lie, cheat, steal, and are hypocrites prosper. When they are given promotions, finances, and honor … and you aren’t. Isn’t there any justice in this world? Yes there is! You think the Lord doesn’t know What’s going on? King David was well acquainted with the world’s injustice. Take to heart what he wrote in Psalm 37. “Do not fret because of evil doers, nor be envious of workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass …” We want to see justice served swiftly, but the Lord is in charge and His timing is always perfect. So, how do we handle our angst? “Trust in the Lord and do good … Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Worried no one will know what a hard and honest worker you are? “Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as light and your justice as the noonday.” Don’t worry about all the crooked people in the world, the Lord will deal with them in due time. You need to follow close to the Lord and before you know it, you’ll be in His spotlight!
Sep 30, 2019 | #MotivationMondayatCapri, Post
“One is the loneliest number you can ever do.” “Look at all the lonely people, where do they all come from?” Without trying too hard, how many songs about loneliness easily pop into your head? Loneliness is a universal problem that isn’t unique to anyone, we all have experienced it in one form or another; the loss of a long time spouse, the breakup of a romantic relationship, loss of a best friend, a close relative, being alone in a strange city. We all know that feeling or fear of being alone, but we don’t have to! Joseph Scriven didn’t write “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” by accident. While Jesus was here, He experienced all of our emotions; love, joy, temptation, sadness, fear, betrayal, loneliness. Think of His words on the cross, “Father why have you forsaken Me?” I shudder to think of the utter loneliness He felt at that moment. He can relate to anything you may be going through. He loves you and will never let you down. You have but to trust Him and turn to Him and He will be there for you. Keep your eyes on Him and then take your eyes off yourself and get involved. When steeped in loneliness, it sometimes is hard to take that first step, but looking outward not inward is the answer. Think about how you can serve in the church. You’re a part of the body and the body needs your help. There are home Bible studies that have a seat waiting just for you. There are charitable organizations that are always looking for volunteers. If your faith is in Jesus, you can go out in confidence, knowing His loving hand will be there upholding you every step of the way and you know you are not alone!
Because of some personal tragedy that has befallen them, some people think God doesn’t care about them or doesn’t understand their pain. Then why did He send His Son to walk the earth? Why did Jesus walk with the hurting, the sick, the outcasts? Then why did He heal their sicknesses, raise their dead, restore the unclean, feed the hungry? Why did Jesus suffer and die? Why does He tell us to cast a
I love it when you ask someone if they go to church and they say the beach is my church or the forest or the mountains. Yeah, they are great places to be alone and spend time with God. Some of my favorite times were when I regularly kayaked two miles out in the open ocean or climbed a mountain alone in a wilderness area and would spend time with God … but that wasn’t church! Church has gotten a bad rap because of so called churches. Church is where 
Why is it so hard to pray? The Creator of all things wants to have a one on one time with you, wants to hear your heart, wants to hear your heart for others, wants to give you answers, but we are so busy with our mundane lives, so pressed for time that we barely squeeze off a quick memo when we get the chance. What is wrong with us? God wants you to talk to Him! Most people will barely listen to what you have to say while God wants to listen to you! We
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” You always want to see where you’re going? The Psalmist just told you how. God’s Word is meant to lead us, guide us, and comfort us, and so much more. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man (and woman) of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every
What should be the first thing anyone thinks of when they hear the word Christians? Of course, followers of Christ, but what is the first thing they think about the followers? That they are kind, loving, and giving or self-righteous, judgemental, and fundamental? Sadly, too often it is the latter. Then we need to change those opinions and become world evangelists. Not the whole world but the world around us! To help you do that, read 2 Peter 1:5-7 and
You have to admit it, sometimes it really galls you to see people that you know lie, cheat, steal, and are hypocrites prosper. When they are given promotions, finances, and honor … and you aren’t. Isn’t there any justice in this world? Yes there is! You think the Lord doesn’t know What’s going on? King David was well acquainted with the world’s injustice. Take to heart 
“One is the loneliest number you can ever do.” “Look at all the lonely people, where do they all come from?” Without trying too hard, how many songs about loneliness easily pop into your head? Loneliness is a universal problem that isn’t unique to anyone, we all have experienced it in one form or another; the loss of a long time spouse, the breakup of a romantic relations