“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 NIV

My son has played baseball since he was 4. He loves baseball. He is passionate about baseball. As a young boy, he sometimes thought he knew everything there was to know about baseball. As he was growing and learning as a young player I often reminded him that it is important to remain coachable-capable of being easily taught and trained to do something better.

Today, I encourage you to reflect. Does God view you as coachable? Are you humble? Do you allow God to teach and train you to do something better? 

If you are worshiping in a corporate worship service today, be mindful of the way you approach the service. Are you participating with an open mind and willing spirit? Are your eyes, ears, and heart wide open and ready to receive the message God has for you? Are your hands and feet ready to respond to His message as you leave the service? Are you ready for the game of life He has set before you?

Let’s pray. Dear God, open my eyes, ears, and heart to the message You have for me today. May I be willing to listen and then respond to You as You coach me to be more like Christ. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

“The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.” John 3‬:‭29‬ ‭NIV‬

Join me for See You Saturday as I talk about our Invitation from God to be His bride.

You can read the full passage in John 3:22-36.

Let’s pray though Jeremiah 33:11.

Dear God, I am full of joy and gladness at the sound of Your voice. I give thanks to You Lord Almighty, for You are good and Your love is everlasting. I seek to be Your bride. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’” Mark 1‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today’s invitation from God is to follow Him. As you can see in Ray’s key photo, fishing is a vital food supply to our area. We live along the beautiful coastline of the Low Country. There are many places to fish, shop, and dine for fresh, local fish. Take a moment to assess your faith in action. Are you following Jesus? Are you fishing for men by sharing your faith? What opportunities are you taking?

Sharing our faith with others should be as easy and enjoyable as catching fish. The truth is, sometimes we get paralyzed and can’t find the right words to say. Living out our faith in our actions and reactions can be just as powerful. The photo below is of our son Trevor fishing. He is holding a Red Drum out on Winyah Bay. This is both a passion and a stress reliever for him. The next time you share Your faith, go in confidence and be reminded of the simplicity of fishing. Let’s pray through Deauterotomy 31:8 to courageously guide us in sharing our faith.

Dear God, You are with me always. Thank You for never leaving me or forsaking me. Help me not to be afraid to share my faith. Help me not to get discouraged when sharing and living out my faith looks different than I had planned. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today’s invitation from God is to come to Him to find rest. Deborah and I are blessed to get some much-needed rest this week over our Spring Break. We’ve also been blessed to spend some time planning for our Water Walkers blog with Ray, our retired partner, and friend. How do you find rest in God? For me, it is my devotion and quiet time. This is one of my favorite promises when life is busy or complicated. Ray’s key photo is a rocky terrain along the water. God doesn’t promise us an easy life but He does offer us rest when life’s path is rocky.

What do you think Matthew means by God’s yoke being easy? Take a moment to read the Message Translation of these verses. God says “I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you”. The simplicity of these verses reminds me of making tea cakes. I’ve included the recipe below. Just like God’s word, there are key steps you don’t want to rush through. The simple process of baking by hand, feeling the light and easy yoke as it slips through your fingers is an unforced rhythm. Let’s pray.

Dear God, Show me the areas in my life that I need to recover. I desire to find rest in Your unforced rhythms of grace. Thank You for walking with me through the rocky terrains of life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Tea Cakes Recipe

• 2 sticks butter softened
• 3 cups self-rising flour sifted
• 1 cup powdered milk
• 3 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Sift flour and powdered milk together and mix in sugar. Crack one egg at a time on a plate. Remove the chalazae which is the strand of membranes that attach the yolk to the shell. In a separate bowl, hand-mix softened butter, eggs, and vanilla together. Then hand-mix this with flour mixture. Dust your fingers with flour so that you can easily pinch a small amount and drop on a sprayed pan or pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes on the top rack.

“On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’” John‬ ‭7‬:‭37‬-‭38‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today’s invitation is to come and drink from God’s Living Water. We are blessed with the promise to never thirst again. We all go through seasons where we either feel well-watered or parched. What season are you in today? Are you overflowing with God’s living water? Or are you in need of renewal? Take a moment to look at Ray’s photo above. Now imagine God’s Living Water renewing your spirit.

The picture below is of our daughter, Kendal. This past week she was invited to join the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society in College. We are so proud of her as this invitation is given based on grades. Aren’t we glad that God’s invitation to drink from the fountain is for everyone! Our Heavenly Father is proud of us too. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have accomplished, we are all invited to come and drink.

I encourage you to listen to the song, “Living Water” by Anne Wilson. Really listen to the words. We aren’t strangers to God, but now His sons and daughters. Let’s pray.

Dear God, Thank You for Your Living Water. I desire to experience a renewal today. I humbly come before You to receive Your cleansing Spirit so that I can overflow Your Living Water to those around me. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’” John 14‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today’s invitation from God is to come to Him through His Son Christ Jesus. Have you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to live in your heart? Have you professed your faith? We just went through Holy Week and we’re able to experience life on Earth with Jesus. Such a beautiful gift we have. Like in Ray’s picture above sometimes our way seems treacherous, but we have a clear path through Jesus. He is the Way, Truth, and Life.

The picture below is of Kendal and Trevor at their confirmation into the church. This was an invitation for our children to join the church and profess their faith since their infant baptism. What is your salvation story? It doesn’t have to be some grand story. Your invitation from God is personal and unique to you. I encourage you to share that gift with someone this day. I also encourage you to take a moment to pray for our children. We live in such a cruel world and many have not been fortunate to grow up in Christian homes. Let’s pray.

Dear God, Thank You for the gift of Your son, Christ Jesus. Thank You for the forgiveness of sins and the eternal life that You invite me to. I pray for our Youth that they will all get an invitation to follow You from someone like me. Give me the courage to share that gift with someone today. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This week we will talk about the different invitations we receive from God. Today’s invitation is to remain in God. Each sunrise is a fresh start to remain. How can we remain in Him? We can remain in Him by staying in tune with God through His word and prayer, daily taking up our cross to follow Him, and by surrounding ourselves with fruitful friends and family. Who do you surround yourself with?

The picture below was an invitation to gather with some of my dearest friends and family at the movies. Although this would be a highlight reel for me, I can call on them when I am struggling to produce fruit. You can find the full passage in John 15:1-17. I encourage you to meditate on these verses as you sit and remain with God. Let’s pray.

Dear God, Thank You for Your invitation to remain in You. Help me to bear much fruit so that I can be a fruitful friend to others. Guide me to share Your invitation with those in my path. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.