Pray Bold Prayers

James 1:6-7

6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

I can’t take credit for the topic today. This is from a portion of a recent sermon. I loved it and wanted to share it with you.

Be BOLD in your prayers. God already knows what you would like. If you cannot be bold with your prayer, find something you can be bold about and pray for that.

It really did stick with me and I hope being bold in your prayers sticks with you.

Make it a great day in the trenches. Be exceptional at being you. Be safe if you’re traveling.

Love,

Yancey

Family Friday 12/20: Pass it Down

Ephesians 6:4 says:

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Good morning, men!

This past week, the boys and I made our first Christmas cutout. Sarah bought me a jigsaw for my birthday, the kiddos asked for “Christmas Snoopy”, and away we went. During the whole process, I was reminded of all the hours I spent in the barn with my dad as a kid. Even though we just now started doing it, the desire to work with wood is in me, and that seed was planted by my dad.

The wonderful news today, is that the Gospel works the same way. If we spend time in our children’s early years teaching them about Jesus, praying with them, and showing them how to act out grace, compassion, forgiveness, and love….it plants a seed for the future.

Will they stray? Probably, at some point. I did. But if those roots are set, there is at least a possibility that they will find them again.

I pray everyone has a restful Christmas and enjoys time with family. Use this time to lay the groundwork for the generations to come!

M.I.T.T. ~ Runyan

God’s Love

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1 Corinthians 13:4‭-‬7 NIV

I was looking at this very popular verse yesterday and I started thinking, this is a description of God’s love for us. The Bible tells us God is Love (1 John 4:16). So, if you read the above verse and replace the word Love with God, and it with He, it reads: God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. He does not dishonor others,  He is not self seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

God never fails, would be the next three words.

This scripture verse is a great one to use for all of our relationships. Love isnt just a word or a feeling, its an ACTION. Every action that is described in the verse was carried out on the cross for each and everyone of us.  Even to His death, Jesus was showing us how great His love is for us!

So, over the holiday season do your best to show people who God really is- LOVE.

With love, dlp

M.I.T.T.

This is the time of year when its easy for us to become worn out. What a great time to get more into Gods words, to expand our trust in him.

The Truth

Good morning men. This last week at church in our Sunday school class, our discussion dealt with “what is truth?” There were several verses in there that came from John and the author made some great points throughout our text. The one that really stuck out was this:

The truth is the truth whether you recognize it or not.

In this case, this is sure JESUS stood before Pilate before his execution. Jesus told him I came to fulfill THE truth. Christ didn’t come for his own agenda or man’s agenda but he came to fulfill the word. The promise that he has set in motion a long time ago. Men JESUS is the most beautiful truth in the world and that truth that he came to fulfill was love. He loved each and everyone of us to come lay down his life so that we may all have life eternally.

John 8:28-32″ So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own. But just as the Father taught me, I say these things. The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.” As he was saying these things, many believed in him. Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

Men JESUS offers us the opportunity while we are on earth to be free. Free from our bondage and sin that caged us and holds us down. He is the truth that frees us. Share the good news with someone.

Have a blessed day men.

Faith & joy in the middle of the storm

So the trials continue at the Miller household and for some of my brothers on this message. I have no clear opportunities in my search for another pharmaceutical sales job, and just a few days ago I got hit with a nasty cold/cough virus that just won’t go away. I also know of others looking for work, praying about providing for their families, and other men who have loved ones seriously suffering & ailing. Again, if we fix our eyes on our circumstances and things we can’t control it could easily overwhelm us. Which brings me to a key question I received last week from a dear brother: what does faith & courage from the Lord look like to me in the middle of the storm? It reminded me that my strength and joy comes not from my circumstances, or my faith but the object of my faith: The Lord and His faithfulness. As men who are redeemed by Christ, we still struggle in this broken world: with sin, with unfulfilled desires, with pain from those we love hurting and dying. Despite all of this God is faithful. He is righteous, holy, sovereign, and true. He knows what is best and does what is best for His glory and our good.

In the middle of the storms of life, the trials that shake me, the only thing that is going to get me through this is experiencing the presence of the Lord.

Reading through Psalms is where I really experience the Lord in these times, as I see King David being brutally honest with God. He comes before God as a broken and sinful man (Bathsheba), processes his fears, frustrations, and emotions yet at the end He is praising God. We can take heart that God called David a man after his own heart. (Acts 13:22: After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’ )

Please take heart from these passages below:

Psalms 73:21-28 (ESV)
23Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.
24You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.
25Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength^b of my heart and my portion forever.
27For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
28But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV): 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV): ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

You Could Be Just Like the Heisman Finalists

Ecclesiastes 3:1

3 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

Pastors, today is a day for you to give your perfectly ordained message. Make it happen.

Men, as the Heisman Trophy finalists have been celebrated and now awarded, I hope you have all noticed that three of them are transfers. All three of them were beat out at their position so they had to swallow their pride and look for a different place to go play their position.

I know that some of us on the message are in some kind of transition, but I hope that these three young men motivate you to know that sometimes change can be not only good, but great. Think about it, we’d only know Joe Burrow for mop up time had he not taken a leap of faith to Louisiana. Make sure your faith is strong in your leap.

Make it a great week in the trenches. Be exceptional at being you.

Love,

Yancey

You Could Be Just Like the Heisman Finalists

Ecclesiastes 3:1

3 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

Pastors, today is a day for you to give your perfectly ordained message. Make it happen.

Men, as the Heisman Trophy finalists have been celebrated and now awarded, I hope you have all noticed that three of them are transfers. All three of them were beat out at their position so they had to swallow their pride and look for a different place to go play their position.

I know that some of us on the message are in some kind of transition, but I hope that these three you men motivate you to know that sometimes change can be not only good, but great. Think about it, we’d only know Joe Burrow for mop up time had he not taken a leap of faith to Louisiana. Jalen Hurts would have watched the ceremony on TV. Make sure your faith is strong in you leap.

Make it a great week in the trenches. Be exceptional at being you.

Love,

Yancey

All Eyes

Proverbs 4:14

14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.

I constantly address bad habits as both a teacher and a coach. We work continuously on the little things like please and thank you along with things like taking our hats off in doors or at the table for meals. It may be a little old fashioned, but I tell them that they never know who they might impress by doing that.

The men on this message are no different when it comes to our faith. We have to watch our language. We can’t drink to a point of inebriation. We have to set examples. All this for a similar reason, we don’t know who we might make an impression upon. There are eyes on us, young and old alike. Let’s be worth paying attention to.

Make it a great day in the trenches. Be exceptional at being you.

Love,

Yancey