Is Time a Friend or Enemy

In many cases, we concern ourselves with time. That is one thing we don’t have control over.

What we do have control over is what we do with our time.

Do we read/study the Bible?

Do we teach a Sunday School Class?

Do we volunteer at a soup kitchen?

Do we invest in youth?

Do we do something productive?

Do we waste time.

God’s time and our time is completely different. Are we making the most of the time He’s allowing us here on earth?

Keep making the days great. Keep being exceptional at being you.

Love,

Yancey

What’s Mastered Us?

2 Peter 2:19
19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”

If we had to list the most important things in the world to us, we’d know where our priorities lie. If there was a way for all of us to make an anonymous list that no one else would ever see, we’d learn a tremendous amount about ourselves.

What are we mastered by? The answers would vary, but it would be worth looking in the mirror to find out.

Keep making the days great in the trenches. Keep being exceptional at being you.

Love,

Yancey

No seat

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Been studying how to have victory in my thought life and came across this from Louie Giglio:

If you don’t take a thought captive, the failure lies with you. So you must decide right now to change the story of the battle for your mind. You do that by prayerfully taking every thought captive. How does that specifically work?

1. See the lie.
   First, identify any deceptive thought in your mind. You must see that thought for what it is: a harmful lie. It’s far too easy to coddle the thoughts that enter your mind. You are far too agreeable with your thought life. I know I am. You have to examine that thought and say, “Hey, before you pitch a tent in my mind, let me take a good, hard look at you. Because when I look at you, I don’t think you’re congruent with the Word of God. And if you’re not compatible with what God says, then God didn’t send this thought my way. Get out!”
2. Not my will but yours.
   Second, bind that thought in Jesus’ name. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” When a questionable thought enters your mind, ask yourself if that thought lines up with the righteous character of God or what’s stated plainly in Scripture. If it doesn’t, bind that thought in the name of Jesus Christ.
3. DJ your thoughts.
   Third, change the narrative of your story with Scripture. Memorize Scripture and then replay Scripture in your mind. Exchange the deceptive thoughts for thoughts of truth. Familiarize yourself with what the Bible says and then repeat God’s truth to yourself again and again so you know without a doubt what the truth is and so you can stay on the path of truth.
4. Freedom or leeks?
   Finally, the Bible indicates that you can play offense with your thought life. Instead of playing defense with the harmful thoughts that come your way, take action and deliberately place helpful thoughts into your mind. Here are categories to think about from Philippians 4:8: Whatever is… true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.

#NoSeat

Season of Giving

2 Corinthians 9:7
7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Pastors, thank you for all that you do for us. We lift you up in prayer. Please express our thanks to your families, as well.

We have started Christmas shopping here in the ponderosa. This verse is a nice reminder of the spirit of giving.

Find something to give that will bring both the giver and the receiver joy when opening the gift.

This is the season we celebrate Jesus who GAVE HIS LIFE for all of us.

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

Love,

Yancey

Why?

1 Peter 3:15
15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

I like this verse because it talks about the fact that we need to be prepared when we are asked why we are Christians or why we act a certain way.

The answer is Jesus. That is why we don’t have to always speak when we profess our faith. There are ways to show how we feel, and what our faith is as opposed to always talking about it.

Then, when someone asks why we do what we do, we can confidently answer because of Jesus.

Keep being safe.

Keep making the days great.

Keep being exceptional at being you.

Love,

Yancey

Black Friday

1 Timothy 1:15-16
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.

As we enter the Christmas Season, remember what the reason for the season is. Don’t let the commercialization of Christmas lead us to forget.

Jesus came to save us … all of us. We are all yet sinners, but we have been given the greatest gift of all, our salvation.

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

Love,

Yancey

Happy Thanksgiving

1 Thessalonians 5:18
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Easy topic today …

What isn’t always easy is to actually put being thankful into practice. We aren’t perfect, we have human feelings.

Recently, a friend of the family passed away. He once told me that when he had trouble going to sleep, he would simply repeat the words thank you over and over until he drifted off.

He didn’t specify, but I assumed that he meant he was saying thank you to the Lord. When I use this tactic, that’s who I am talking to.

Give thanks, but not just on a Thursday in November. Work to be thankful all year.

I once saw a cartoon that depicted a pilot complaining about his jet. Below a person I a car was marveling at that jet, but complaining about their car. Behind them was a person on a bike marveling at their car and complaining about their bicycle. Next there was a man who marveled at the bike and complained about having to walk. I think the final drawing was of a person in a wheelchair.

I’m sure that we all get the point. Let’s work to be thankful when it doesn’t come easy.

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

Please continue to travel safe.

Love,

Yancey

Stronger Than We Give It Credit For

1 Peter 1:8
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

Our faith is stronger than we give it credit for sometimes. We believe in Jesus Christ, but He was crucified over 2,000 years ago and in that, He is our Savior.

That takes a faith we can’t always describe, that sometimes has to be experienced.

That simply stuck me today after reading the passage above.

Keep making the days great in the trenches. Keep being exceptional at being you.

Love,

Yancey

The Evil One’s Influence

Matthew 5:37
37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

It may just be because of where I currently work or where I have worked in the past, but I constantly hear people say something to the effect of “on God” or “on my mama” when making a point.

I like this verse corrects that. It also gives credibility to who we are in our faith. If we say, yes, then it should be yes. If we say no, then, whatever the question is, should be no.

As we go forward, let’s have our word mean enough on its own.

Keep making the day is great. Keep being exceptional and being you.

Love,

Yancey

P.S. travel safe.