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Good morning. No one likes to be labeled. Labels are often overgeneralized, restrictive, and inaccurate. They can be very negative, and they frequently highlight our worst qualities or biggest mistakes. Labels don’t leave room for differences orgrowth. We all wear labels that others have put on us or that we've put on ourselves. All too often, we allow those labels to limit us and tell us we’re just not good enough. The truth is, we are not our employment status, our diagnosis, our marital status, our struggle, or our past. Those labels may describe our situation, our season, or our trial, but our true identity is in who God says we are and nothing else. "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7) "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:37) We are beautiful, capable, and worthy. We are made new in Christ. We were created on purpose for a purpose. We are loved. We are chosen. We are good enough. Allow God to help you align your identity with biblical truth so you can live the remainder of this year as child of God. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." (Psalms 100:4‭-‬5) This Psalm encourages us to enter God’s gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise, not because our circumstances are good, but because He is. There’s no better way to start the new week than to thank God for who He is and all He’s done for us. There is so much to thank God for: your home, your car, your job. Tell Him you’re grateful for the air you breathe, your good health, and the family that drives you crazy. When we thank God, we’re recognizing His power, His presence, and His provision in our lives. It changes the way we perceive Him, and it changes the way we see our circumstances. Giving God thanks forces us to turn from our inward pain and look up at Him. When our eyes are focused on Him, all we can see is His bigness, and it reminds us that none of our problems are too big for our awesome God. Giving thanks to God shifts our focus toward Heaven and deepens our affection for Him. Take a moment to look back at the first month of 2023 through the lens of gratitude. Tell God one thing you’re thankful for today, even if it’s something small. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. One of the most intimate aspects of a vibrant life is simply the realization that God is with us. The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) Paul reminds us that as we live for Him, "the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:9) We are never alone. The Lord’s presence is guiding us, watching us and protecting us. When we choose to read the Word and ignore the distractions in our world, it delivers the peace that passes understanding. When we choose to worship Him, it ushers us into His presence, where there is always fullness of joy. As we worship God together with other followers of Christ today, remember that time with Jesus turns an awful day into an amazing day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. We often hear the phrase “when the going gets tough, the tough get going,” which says that those with fortitude of character are the ones who make it through the hard times. However, the Bible says something a little different. It adds a new factor into the equation: hope. "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3‭-‬5) If we trust only in ourselves, there will always come a time when we feel that we can no longer carry on. We will always stumble and despair when trying to face the world on our own. Our ability to “rejoice in our sufferings” should come not from confidence in our own strength, but from a hope that is found only in the Lord. Trusting in God’s unfailing love means not only hoping, but knowing that He will carry us through. As followers of Christ we can thank God that in times of suffering we can have confidence in His strength. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. In the New International Version (NIV), the word “hope” is used 174 times. Many of those times it is used in the context of having hope in the Lord. One definition of hope is “desire accompanied by expectation.” The question begs asking: What is our expectation of God? Abraham is described as being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. (Romans 4:21) Our expectation should be that God will faithfully fulfill what He has promised. Not what I want, but what Scriptures record He has promised. For our hope to be in the Lord, our desires must line up with the Scriptures say. Unfortunately, our desires too often fit what we see advertised on TV or what our egos demand. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 73:25 says, “And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” Psalm 40:8 says, “I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart,” So, when we desire for the Lord to be the master of our lives, for His will and teachings to guide all of our actions, and to be obedient with our whole heart, we can be fully persuaded that God has the power and will to make those things happen Have a wonderful day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. The world will have us believe our worth is based on a legacy, on changing the world, on achievements. While theses are not necessarily bad, they are heavy, crushing expectations to bear. The lie that our worth is based on personal achievement will oppress us. It will kill our joy. The truth of where our worth lies will set us free. Our worth is based on the fact that we are a son or daughter of the one true God. We bear his image. Jesus was crucified on a cross for us. We (you and I) were worth this much to Him before we did one good work, before we decided to turn and follow Jesus, before we did anything to earn our Father’s love. God does not expect us to to spend our lives slaving away to build our worth. Rather, we live in the freedom of being His child, displaying love and gratitude to Him because of who we are in Him. "Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:35‭-‬36) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Having just had some stern words pronouning 7 woes on the Teachers of the Law, Jesus utters theses words: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." (Matthew 23:37) Like a parent disciplining his children, Jesus is overcome with frustration stemming from his immense love for these people. We often think we know how to solve our own problems and live our lives, but sometimes we end up causing more harm to ourselves than we recognize by not letting Him help. God is waiting with open arms for us to finally realize that He’s been trying to help us this whole time. He knows how best to help us, and He wants to. Take a moment and rest in the deep love of Jesus. Don’t be afraid to run to Him, take refuge under His wing and allow Him to help you through. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. God often chooses the weak and insignificant to do His greatest works. God chose David, a young shepherd boy, to become king. Jesus chose unschooled, ordinary men to advance the Good News. In the competitive world of sports we learn at an early age to choose the strongest and fastest to our team. It does not make sense to do otherwise. This, however, is not how God chooses. "God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are" (1 Corinthians 1:28) We may well feel like we are one of those who did not “make the cut.” Be encouraged. We serve a God who does not look at outward appearances or accomplishments. He looks at our hearts and He has chosen each of us to be part of His team. We can take your position with our heads held high and play with all our heart, the part the He has given us. As we go about life, today, we can do so with the confidence that we can make a difference, not in our own strength but in His strength. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. There are days when we feel weak and far from God. Sometimes we feel tired in our circumstances, without even the strength to get through the day. Do you ever feel like just giving up or sleeping the day away? Despite how we may feel on those days, God is there. He has not forgotten us. We need to recognize His strength. Our own strength will never be enough, especially on the days we’re feeling tired or weak, but God’s strength will always be enough. He created the entire world and He didn’t rest until it was finished. We might not be able to understand the extent of his mighty power, but when we remember who He is - the everlasting God - He gives us strength when we are tired and power when we feel weak. As we go about our day today, we can thank our Father that we do not have to rely on our own strength. He gives us strength, and we can trust that He will get us through the day Have a good start to the week. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Jesus maintained three primary kinds of relationships: a relationship with his Heavenly Father, with his friends, and with the world around him. Like Jesus, we operate best when we have a solid relationship with our Heavenly Father, a small group of friends we can be real with, and a community we’re plugged into. We all have a deep-seated longing to belong. We desire to be in relationship with one another. We don’t function well when we’re left to ourselves. But sadly, loneliness is at epidemic proportions. We live in a culture full of disconnected people longing for connections. It’s not good for us to be alone. We were created by God to be in relationship with Him, so whether or not we know it, we will always crave that relationship. We all long to belong. Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ both placed a priority on life-giving relationships. We’re at our best when we have a thriving relationship with our Heavenly Father, a small group of friends to do life with, and a community we’re plugged into. Jesus said: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34) Let's do it together. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. A good appetite is a sign of health. Sick people do not have good appetites. Physical appetite is the natural attribute of a living body. Likewise, spiritual desire is evidence of a soul made alive to God. People who hunger for approval from others will never be satisfied. Appetites for fame and fortune are never satusfied. But Jesus said: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6) Appetite is necessary before satisfaction. Appetite precedes action. We do not reach for food unless we are hungry. Similarly, we do not feed our soul unless we have appetite. God has a wonderful promise for His followers in Psalm 37:4 when He says: "Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." The promise, however, has no effect if we have no desire in our hearts. We cultivate our relationship with God by stimulating our hunger and thirst for Him. Then, as we feed on Him through our relationship with Him, we begin to be filled. Even as we enjoy a peaceful weekend our desire for Him can grow and be satisfied through our relationship with Him. Have a good day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. More often than not our dry, desert times are of our own making. Somehow this makes it difficult for us to turn back to God. Why is it that two thousand years after Jesus brought us the new covenant, we still so often view God as one with a vengeful look in His eye, ready to turn His back on us at our smallest slip-up? The psalmist has this to say. "If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you." (Psalm 130:3‭-‬4) These verses tell us how we are to approach God: with holy fear, not that He will reject us, but in the knowledge that He forgives us. The power of our sin cannot separate us from Him. And God provides an even greater miracle. He gives us the power to forgive. God’s great power of forgiveness, the reason we are to fear Him, is offered to us that we may give grace to others. We thank our gracious Father for His gift of forgiveness. We praise Him for His love and compassion. We are able to approach Him boldly, grounded in the knowledge of His forgiveness. Blessings. Mike and Daphne