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Good morning. Today we are able to join with fellow followers of Christ to worship our supreme, majestic sovereign king, Jesus Christ. But first, hesr what Jesus had to say. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,  leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift."  (Matthew 5:23‭-‬24) In response to Peter's question on how many times we should forgive, Jesus replied seventy times seven. (Matthew 18:22) Jesus proceeded to tell the parable of the unmerciful servant who ultimately was imprisoned. Jesus ends off the parable by saying: “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (v35) God puts a high priority on forgiveness. Unforgiveness affects our ability to worship God. Jesus says that what happens in our relationships with people affects our relationship with God. With this in mind, let's make a concerted effort to sort out our relationships with others sothat we can come into His presence and worship God in Spirit and truth. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Hebrews 11 is full of reminders of men and women whose faith was remarkable. The stories of those men and women remind us that walking by faith is a lifelong journey. We, like them, will need to exercise faith again and again, even when we don’t “receive what was promised” (v. 39). We can see from their lives that: •  faith depends not on human strength or understanding, but on God’s character and faithfulness. • He “provide[s] something better” (v. 40) He created us, called us to relationship with Him, and lovingly guides us each step of the way. These bible stories remind us that we are part of a larger story; one that stretches all the way back to Abraham and will continue long after we have joined the saints who’ve gone before us. We can be thankful that in our struggles, we don’t struggle alone. We can persevere, running “the race ... set before us,” because we remember this “great cloud of witnesses surrounding us” (Hebrews 12:1). These fathers and mothers in the faith are reminders to depend on Jesus, who demonstrated perfect and unwavering trust in His Father. Best of all, we can celebrate that God writes us into the same story, strengthening the legacy of faithfulness we will pass to those who follow us. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Discouragement is universal. Everyone gets it from time to time, However, discouragement is curable. Our focus determines our happiness. • God has chosen us to be a part of his family. You’re not an accident. You are not a mistake. No matter what you’ve done, God picked you to be a part of his family. As Peter says: "... who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father ... In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."  (1 Peter 1:2‭-‬3) God knew whatever challenges you’re facing right now, and he chose you because of his mercy. You’ll never earn it. You can never work hard enough for it. Perhaps you’re just hanging by a thread right now, ready to throw in the towel and quit. No matter what’s happened, God chose you to be a part of his family. He loves you. Never forget that. • God has secured your future. “God has reserved for his children the priceless gift of eternal life; it is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay?” (1 Peter 1:4 TLB). No matter what’s going on in your life, your eternity with God will never be canceled. Peter says it’s reserved and “kept beyond the reach of change and decay.” If you’ve committed your life to Christ, you’ll be with him for eternity. Every problem you’ve endured will be worth it at that time because of what is to come. You are a child of God. Your future is not only bright, but eternal. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Imagine that you’ve saved for a long time to take a cruise. At last, you’re aboard with two carefully packed suitcases. The first evening, when “Dinner is served” is announced over the loudspeaker, you grab some salticrax, marmite and cheese from your suitcase and sit at the table in your small cabin. Every day at mealtime, you repeat the ritual. It isn’t that you don’t like the ship’s tasty banquets. You simply don’t know that meals are included in the ticket price. For the duration of the cruise  you enjoy beautiful scenery off the decks but eat dry, stale food in your cabin. This sad story is a metaphor for how some believers live the Christian life. God has promised to meet every need of His children.  Yet many of us are trying to live out of our own resources. We don’t know that the bounty of God’s love, power, and provision is on the menu. As followers of Christ our relationship with Jesus is one of complete unity. He is our life, and His Spirit lives through us. Everything that is available to the Lord is also available to us. "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people." (Ephesians 1:18) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Many of us spend a lot of time dwelling on the past and the future. Notwithstanding that the past is beyond our control, we worry about it. As far as the future is concerned, we fret about what it holds and whether it will bring joy or pain. As followers of Christ we are urged to entrust both the past and the future to God. That frees us to live for the Lord in the present. Regular support of fellow followers of Christ helps us successfully navigate each day’s challenges and opportunities. Encouraging each other can be a beacon of light and hope to those around us. "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."  (1 Thessalonians 5:11) It is good to speak words of affirmation, hope, and accountability regularly. Even when offered just once, they can have a long-lasting effect, far beyond the present moment. Let's go and be an encouragement to those around us today. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. “How much is enough?” a reporter once asked John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil and the first American billionaire. “Just a little bit more,” Rockefeller said. While few of us have the resources of the super wealthy, we face the same question. Our world is obsessed with getting more, spending more, doing more. David understood that God was his provider. “I will not be in need,” he wrote in verse 1 of Psalm 23. In other words, because he belonged to the Lord, he was able to experience a life without lack. We can think about this in two ways. First, we can expect God to give us everything we think we need. And when we don’t get it, we look for someone—or Someone—to blame. Or, as Jesus and His followers laid out, there’s a second and better approach i.e. gratefully receive what God has provided and allow Him to change our heart. In that way, even our needs are governed by our submission to Him. Reading the first verse of Psalm 23 reminds us of John 10:11, where Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” The transforming truth of the gospel is that we have more than enough because Jesus gave us Himself. The longer we follow Jesus, the more we discover that He is all we truly need. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. The desire to give praise is hardwired in all  humans. As followers of Christ, we are  called to direct that tendency to the One who made us. The apostle Peter says it like this: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). Isn't that amazing? We are God’s own people: created, chosen, and called by Him to live a life of praise, both on our own and with other followers of Christ. David, the psalmist, says, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm  34:1). However, he’s not content to be a solo act. He exhorts other believers to join him: “Exalt the Lord with me, and let’s exalt His name together.” (Psalm 34:3) So let’s praise Him when we start the workday and each evening as we lie down to rest. Also, let’s remember to praise Him not only for what He has done but also who He is, His attributes. God truly is worthy of our adoration! Have an amazing week. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. We all have times when we feel down. Whenever we do, we can take our pain to the Lord. We can rely on Him. He is the source of comfort and encouragement. To overcome discouragement, fixing our focus on the Lord is key. His Word promises that He walks with us through the valley. Even when we feel disheartened, we are never alone. To receive His comfort and encouragement:- • Look within: Before we can deal with despair, we need to know what is causing it. Ask the Lord to help you figure out what’s going on. • Look up: Discouragement comes to everybody at one time or another. In theses times we should lift our eyes to the Lord and place our hope in Him. • Look back. Despair has a way of making us forget all the good things God has done over the years. Recalling His past care and provision helps to overcome  discouragement. • Look ahead. Knowing that the Lord’s plans are good, we can look forward to what He is going to do in the future. His lovingkindness will support us by day and bring comfort by night. "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."  (Psalms 42:5) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Often, we judge how to invest time, energy, and money based on what something is worth. In business, it’s called an ROI, or “return on investment.” If something doesn’t pay off, we get rid of it, stop doing it, or trade it in. But how is value assigned in relationships? How do we determine what’s “worth it” and what isn’t? There are many people who have been so rejected, so hurt, and so full of pain that they say, ‘It’s just not worth it.’ Yes it is. It’s worth it to feel anchored by a genuine, true, loving, devoted, loyal friend. In a sense, the worth of any single relationship comes back to the conviction that relationships themselves are integral to our life. When we value being connected to others, then we are willing to pay high costs and make deep sacrifices. Followers of Christ have found the friend spoken of in Proverbs 18:24 "there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." This fiend sticks with us through thick and thin. As a matter of fact, "while we were still sinners, He died for us."  (Romans 5:8) His name is Jesus. No matter what we are going through, He sticks with us. Is a relationship with Jesus Christ is worth it? Yes it is! Have a wonderful weekend. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Mist of us want to be successful in life. Paul too  wanted to be successful and understood he couldn’t live haphazardly and accomplish what God called him to do. He showed self-discipline throughout his ministry, and so should we. "Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever."  (1 Corinthians 9:25 GNT) There are some practical areas in our lives that require self-discipline. • Our emotions: Without discipline, we’re without defense and a helpless victim of your emotions. "Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control."  (Proverbs 25:28) • Our conversations: "Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin."  (Proverbs 13:3) • Our time: We need to know how to use our time effectively. "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15‭-‬16) Discipline is the reason some people get more done than others. • Our money: We need to live within our means.“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."  (Luke 16:10) • Our reactions:  A disciplined person acts rather than reacts. "If you are sensible, you will control your temper. When someone wrongs you, it is a great virtue to ignore it." (Proverbs 19:11 GNT) Let's endeavour to improve our discipline in each of these areas.  Have a good day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. We are all faced with days that make us ask, "Is it worth it?" Paul tells us not to give up. To press on. Don't give up. We, like Paul, must "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14) God could have just created us and taken us  straight to heaven. But He wanted to test our faithfulness. He gives us a few things, like opportunities and relationships, and puts them in our care. If we’re faithful with a little, then He can trust us with all of His riches, power, and glory for all of eternity in heaven. Our prize for fulfilling our calling will be to share everything that God has in heaven. The Good News Translation of the Bible puts it like this: “Live the kind of life that pleases God, who calls you to share in his own Kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:12 GNT). Isn’t that an amazing promise? One day, God will share His Kingdom and His glory with us! So we must make the most of our calling. Make our life count. Our eternity will be impacted by it. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Pop songs, movies, and books shape the way we think about love. Attraction, emotion, romance, and sentiment colour how we expect it to be. When Jesus told His followers that they’re to love the way He does, He wasn’t talking about what we find in popular culture. Jesus gave them the ultimate image of self-sacrificing love when He said: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." (John 15:13) The delightful feelings of “being in love” are distant cousins to the self-giving action that Jesus was referring to. The kind of love He was referring to looks far more like the sacrificial service of a caregiver changing a soiled adult nappy. It looks like a family opening their home to foster children. Or like a woman interceding daily in prayer for her prodigal child. This sacrificial love is humbly given by countless modern heroes of the faith every day as they lay down their hopes and dreams to meet the needs of the sick, helpless, and broken among us. Jesus is our role model. When we serve others sacrificially, we show love the way He did. Blessings. Mike and Daphne