Love Endures

Posted on May 6, 2018 by pastorpstephens

I was talking to a man the other day at the senior living center who told me that this year he and his wife would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.  He spoke of the wonderful times they enjoyed together throughout the years.  He said the secret to a long marriage was two simple words… “Yes dear.”  We both laughed and then he went on to say the secret was really three words…  “I love you.”   I have visited with widows, widowers and various couples at the center who all speak to the importance and significance of those words.  All of them have born witness to the fact that loving one another through good times and bad times is the key to a successful and happy marriage.  When talking with those who may be reflecting on the love of a spouse who has already passed or when visiting with those whose spouse is still by their side, I am reminded of the great truth of 1 Corinthians 13:7

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Posted in 1 Corinthians 13:7, A Long Happy Marriage, Being Blessed, Being Thankful, Christianity, Church, faith, God's Love, God's Strength, growing older, Love Endures | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I Know I’m Blessed

Posted on April 29, 2018 by pastorpstephens

I was sitting here today in my office at home, reflecting on this morning’s service, praying and thanking the Lord for all of His blessings that He has poured out in my life.  One of the greatest things He has done for me has been to provide me with a wife who loves me, who loves our family and who has helped me grow in regard to my faith.  For over 33 years she has been by my side, loving me, helping me with ministry, and being my best friend.  As I was reflecting on the way the Lord has used her to bless me, I was reminded of some words from Proverbs 31.  Solomon speaking of an excellent wife’s love for her husband says in verse 12:

Prov 31:12   She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

I am so grateful the Lord brought us together.  Marta has been so good to me and so good for me.  I know how much she loves me and I hope she knows how much I love her.

Posted in Being Blessed, Being Thankful, Christianity, Church, faith, God Loves Me, Proverbs 31:12 | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Making Plans

Posted on April 21, 2018 by pastorpstephens

Marta and I went walking with the girls the other day and they were excitedly talking about the trip to Florida that our entire family has planned for this summer.  Haley who is 6 has been doing a daily count day of the number of days remaining until our trip for at least a month.  “80 days left Papaw… 70 days… 58…” and the count continues.  While we were walking, Haley was telling Avery how many dresses she was going to take, which shoes and which swimsuit.  Avery who is 8 wasn’t as concerned about the clothes but she did talk about the snorkel gear that she was going to take.  After they talked about the trip for several minutes, I told the girls that I loved hearing about their plans.  Then I shared with them that the Bible says God has plans for each of us.

Jer 29:11   For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I asked them how they thought that could be and Avery responded, “Because He knows all about us.  He knows exactly what we will be doing.”  Haley joined in, “He even knows what we are doing right now.  He knows we are walking the dogs!”  The girls are right, God knows all about us.  He knows what we are doing now and what we will be doing tomorrow and what we will be experiencing in the future.  He knows how much I enjoy these walks with Marta and the girls.  Yes, He has plans for each of us, plans for our good and our well-being and He wants to give us hope.

Posted in Christianity, Church, faith, God has a plan for you, grandchildren, hope, Planning for the Future, religion, Take a Walk | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Write Something New

Posted on March 24, 2018 by pastorpstephens

Took this picture of the granddaughters last weekend when we went to the mall. They ended up spending the night with us and we had a great time.  At one point we played a game called “Finish the Story.”  One person began a story and then we each took turns adding to it.  The girls had fun and we had some pretty good stories by the time we were done.

As I reflect on that game, I am reminded of Hebrews 12:2 where we are told to “fix eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”  I love that verse.  No matter where our story begins, no matter what twists and turns it may include, Christ is the ultimate author.  He can rewrite our story, He can turn things around.  He can provide us with a happy and glorious ending.  Give Him the pen and let Him write a new chapter today.

Posted in Christianity, Church, Don't give up, faith, God has a plan for you, Hebrews 12:2, inspirational, religion, Write a New Story | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

People of the Light

Posted on March 15, 2018 by pastorpstephens

This past week I posted a video on the church Facebook page from Wednesday night’s message on Matthew 5:16. I have also posted it on YouTube so that I can make it available on a larger scale. I am not accustomed to making or sharing videos, as a matter of fact, I don’t know that I really like it. I have given people manuscript copies of sermons before and almost every time they tell me, “I could hear your voice while I was reading it.” This always prompts me to apologize due to the fact that I have a pretty strong North Texas accent. You can take the boy out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the boy. The truth is that it can be hard to look at oneself and hear one’s voice on tapes and videos. But I understand that videos and pictures are a good way to reach some people. I am reminded of the fact that in Luke 5:3 Jesus got into Simon’s boat and pushed away from the shore a little so that He could teach from that boat. Though this had not been done before, it gave all the people on the banks of the shore an opportunity to hear His words.

As a minister,  this story from Luke 5:3 reminds me that I need to push out from my comfort zones as I look to share God’s word.  I need to be willing to try some things that I have never tried before and I may need to be willing to try some things again.  I need to let the Lord lead me and guide  and help me share His word so that more people may have an opportunity to know and experience His love and His grace.

 

Posted in Be Flexible, Christianity, Church, discovering spiritual gifts, faith, God Still Speaks, Luke 5:3 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Let It Show

Posted on March 9, 2018 by pastorpstephens

In our Wednesday night Bible Study we have been looking at the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5.  This past week verse 9 really resonated with me.  Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”  This verse comes in a section where Christ is letting His followers know that they should treat others with gentleness, kindness and mercy.  He says His followers should seek to bring about peace.  They should demonstrate His love in all they do and seek to overcome evil with good.  As a result, others will see their actions and behaviors and “…they shall be called sons of God.”

Christ goes on to say in verse 16, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”  I love the exhortation and the expectation that the Lord gives to those who follow Him.  We are to act in such a way that people know that we belong to Him and that He has made an impact on how we live and how we love.

Posted in Being Blessed, Blessed are the peacemakers, Christianity, Church, doing the right thing, faith, Let Your Light Shine, Loving Others, Matthew 5:9 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gaining New Strength

Posted on February 23, 2018 by pastorpstephens

Our church started a new ministry on Thursday this week.  We had a gospel sing-a-long at an assisted living center not far from our church.  We had a great time singing, praying together and visiting with the residents who live there.  One man who I met had a beautiful necklace with an eagle pendant.  We had a great conversation about the places he has lived, the son who gave him that necklace and how much that necklace means to him.  His necklace reminded me of one of  my wife Marta’s favorite verses, Isaiah 40:30 which reads

Isa 40:31  “Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

It is one of my favorite verses too.  It reminds me that the Lord who never tires or grows weary is always ready to strengthen to me…and to strengthen you!  I love that promise from our God.  I was able to see that promise in action on Thursday.  As we gathered together to sing praises, people began to smile, they were energized and they became strengthened by the presence and the love of our Lord.  It was a blessing to be there.  I hope that you get a chance to worship and praise the Lord this week.  I pray that you will be strengthened and blessed by His love.

Posted in Being Blessed, Christianity, Church, faith, God's Strength, Isaiah 40:30, religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Making the Most of Each Opportunity

Posted on February 16, 2018 by pastorpstephens

I heard that there is a cold front coming so I took the dogs on a walk earlier than usual today.  Although the weather was still pleasant, I could tell by the dark clouds on the horizon that this time the meteorologist was right on.  If we wanted to avoid the cold and potential rain, we needed to go around the block now.  Much to the delight of our two weenie dogs, I gathered up the leashes, put the leashes on the pups and away we went.  Not long after we finished our walk, the cold front hit and I was glad that we were nice and warm inside.  And I was glad find that we made “the most of the opportunity.”  As I thought about that phrase, I was reminded of Paul’s usage of that phrase in Colossians 4.  Paul encourages Christians, saying

Col 4:5   Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

Paul, who was in prison, had just asked the church to pray for him to have more opportunities to share the gospel.  Paul wanted the church to make the most of their opportunities as well.  Paul wanted the church to show and to share the love of Christ in their daily lives as they interacted with others – through their words and their deeds.  I love that thought.  As followers of Christ, we should conduct ourselves with wisdom and our speech should always be seasoned with His grace.  We should make the most of each opportunity to show and share His love.

Posted in ambassadors, Be Prepared, Christianity, Church, faith, Paul in Prison, seasoned with grace, seasoned with salt, Sharing God's Love, Sharing the Word, Walk the Dog, witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Words of Encouragement

Posted on February 11, 2018 by pastorpstephens

I had a question on my mind last week that I had been praying about for several days.  I was wanting some clarity and confirmation on something.  At the end of the week I received a letter from someone I had not heard from in a while.  He provided me with some words of encouragement and then wrote from his heart about some things God had placed on his mind.  It wasn’t a long letter but it encouraged me greatly.  God used the words from my friend to provide me with some of the clarity and confirmation I had been praying for.  God is so good!  I am so glad my friend took the time to write to me and I am so glad that God used his letter to minister to me.  It is good to have the kind of friends who will encourage you and support you.  It is good to be that kind of friend as well.  It is something that God asks us to do.  Paul said it like this in 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

1 Thess 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

I hope that you have a good week, a blessed week.  I hope and I pray that God will give you clarity and confirmation on the things that may be on your heart.  I hope and I pray that you will find your life full of friends who encourage and strengthen you.

Posted in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Christianity, Church, encouraging others, faith, God, God Answers Prayer, good friends | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Growing Older but Growing Stronger

Posted on February 1, 2018 by pastorpstephens

The granddaughters came over to visit the other day while I was working out on my Total Gym.  Haley, who is 6, asked, “Papaw why don’t you just do pushups?”  Her older sister Avery who is 8 spoke up and answered for me, “He’s too old to do pushups.”  I thought it was pretty funny.  The truth is, I am getting older and pushups do aggravate one of my shoulders and put a strain on my lower back.  It’s true, I am slowing down.  I try to stay in shape but physically, I just can’t do the things I used to do.  When I think about growing older I am reminded of what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:16 – 17.

2 Corinthians 4:16  Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,

I find that verse very comforting.  Even though my body may be getting weaker, the Lord can cause my spirit to grow stronger and stronger every day.  What a great promise we have from the Lord.  No matter what our age or physical condition, we can trust God to help us and strengthen us.  We can trust God to empower us and equip us to do the things that He has called us to do.  Paul said it like this in Philippians 1:6

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who started a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.  Phil 1:6

That’s a good promise from the Lord.  He’s given us a lot of good promises.  Not only will He complete the work He starts in us, not only will He help us to do the work He has called us to do, but He will leave us nor forsake us.  I love those promises.  I especially love the promise of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”  That’s a good promise from the Lord.  I hope you have claimed that promise for yourself.

Posted in can't go on, Christianity, Don't stop, God has a plan for you, God's Strength, grandchildren, inspirational | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment