Circuit Riders Cowboy Church

06/04/2026

June 4
Rooted in Love

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
John 15:9 (ESV)

The word "abide" here simply means "to remain." Jesus is, in essence, saying, "Stay with Me. Keep close to Me." In other places, it is translated, "Follow Me. Do what I say. Obey My commands." When you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you long to abide in Him because that relationship is rooted not in fear, obligation, or even your happiness, but God's love. His never-ending, unchanging, always, and forever love. A love that saw you before you were born and knew every moment of your life before a single day had passed (Psalm 139:16). A love that drove Him to the cross to rescue you from death.

In the same way that God the Father loves His Son, Jesus, so Jesus loves you. You belong to Him. You are precious to Him. And that relationship is what gives you purpose, security, and a sense of identity. You are not here to live for the approval of others. Their applause and accolades are not what give your life meaning. Your standing as a child of God is what provides your life with meaning and purpose. And how are you to respond back to Him for all He has done for you? You simply abide in His love. You remain close to Him. You follow Him and do what He says. Love is what draws you to Him, and love is what will keep you close.

Pause To Ponder: When you consider your relationship with God, what causes you to invest in that relationship—a sense of duty, fear, obligation, or love? Does God provide your sense of confidence and inner security, or do you need the approval of other people?

06/01/2026

June 1
Ouch, That Hurts!

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
John 15:2 (NIV)

I remember stumbling upon the concept of Biblical pruning as a young girl. In my mind’s eye, I saw God poised to aggressively hack away at the areas of my life that did not please Him. And if I am honest, it was an aspect of God I came to fear because of the association I drew between His cutting and the pain that usually accompanied it. And yet, like a cavity that grows undetected in a tooth when we avoid the dentist’s office, when we evade God’s pruning hand, the cancer of sin that we tolerate will fester until it metastasizes to our heart.

It was not until I was a grown woman that I grasped God’s pruning hand always moves in tandem with His loving heart. He snips what is not beneficial because He cares. He removes what is holding you back because your fullness of joy matters to Him. Pruning is often taught or explained from a position of fear when really, it should highlight God’s immense love for you. God could have saved you and then just let you go, wandering around trying to figure life out on your own. But instead, He trims and cuts, He snips and prunes back, so He can redirect and focus your attention and growth on areas that will bring Him glory and bring you both a purpose-filled life and unbelievable joy.

Pause To Ponder: Is there a situation or relationship in your life God is using to prune you? If so, ask God to help you submit to His pruning hand, knowing on the other side of His will, He will receive glory, and you will receive joy (John 15:11).

05/31/2026

05/31/2026

May 31
Light of the World

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12 (NIV)

Without light, a plant cannot survive. It is the primary source of energy that makes everything else within the plant work. In the same way, apart from Jesus, humanity lives in darkness. When Jesus opens your eyes through salvation, you are rescued from darkness and brought into the light. John 8:12 reveals that when this happens, you have moved from death (darkness) into life (light). To know Jesus as light is to be truly alive! And He graciously gives you more than that. When you follow Christ and obey His Word, you also have a light to guide your path (Psalm 119:105). What a gift to know that life’s decisions—big and small—do not have to be made without His loving input and divine guidance. You are not left stranded in the dark to figure out life on your own. Proverbs 20:24 says, “Man’s steps are ordained by the Lord. How then can man understand his way?” (NASB). That is just it: without Him, you cannot!

Only the Light of the World can show you who you are and guide you safely through life. You have a limited capacity to understand yourself or what you see in the world around you. In the same way that humans need the sun to illuminate their day, and a ship needs a lighthouse to guide it safely into the harbor, your soul needs Jesus to light the way into a relationship with God the Father.

Pause to Ponder: Recall a decision you made without asking God for His guidance. What happened? How might that same situation have been different if you had asked for the light of God’s perspective to illuminate your path

05/30/2026

May 30
The Lord Is Close

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

There is something about grief and brokenness that makes God’s presence almost palpable in our lives. You have probably heard someone say, or maybe you have said it yourself, that in a particular time of great turmoil, the presence of God was felt in a way like no other time. There is a special part of Himself that He reveals in times when we are most broken, perhaps because that is when we are most open to seeing Him.

Psalm 3:3 paints some beautiful word pictures as it describes the Lord as a shield around us and the One who lifts our heads high. Imagine that for a moment. Envision Him right now, wholly surrounding you with His protection and lifting your head up towards His loving gaze. If you are grieving today, He cares, and He grieves with you. Jesus demonstrated this empathy He feels when He wept with His friends over the death of their beloved friend Lazarus. Jesus was well aware that He was about to raise Lazarus back to life, but He drew close to the brokenhearted and grieved along with them. Their sadness was all too real, and Jesus understood that. And He felt it. What a tender and compassionate Savior!

This means that when you have no strength to go through the day or face life’s challenges because you are weighed down by grief, He is close. He feels your heartache. He empathizes with your despair. And He is coming alongside you even now to protect you and lift your head bowed low with grief.

Pause to Ponder: Are you in the midst of sorrow today? If so, take a moment and thank God for being close to you in your darkest hour. Praise Him for His faithfulness and expect Him to protect you and be the lifter of your head.

05/28/2026

May 28
Minding Your Business

And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you.
1 Thessalonians 4:11 (ESV)

Growing up, I can recall a few sitcom television programs that depicted a fictional family’s life. Inevitably, a comical nosy neighbor would drop in unexpectedly to leave unsolicited commentary on how the family was doing things all wrong. The grass was never cut correctly, or the children weren’t adequately disciplined. The nosy neighbor would wag his or her finger in disapproval, and the family would let out a sigh of relief as soon as he or she finally returned to the other side of the fence. The irony was that the neighbor was so busy sticking their nose in everyone else’s matters, they neglected to take care of their own grass!

In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul takes some time to talk about conducting your life in a godly manner that not only pleases God but also puts you in good standing with your neighbor. He gives this warning against meddling in things that are none of your business because it will only stir up trouble and detract from your Christian testimony. This also coincides with his instruction to work hard with your hands instead of sitting back and expecting everyone else to do the work you are not willing to do yourself. Working with your hands points to minding your own business because you are caring for your tasks and are focused on working hard to accomplish them. Busybodies and idleness shed a negative light on your life’s testimony that all can see.

Pause to Ponder: Do you have a habit of inserting yourself into other people’s personal matters? How can you pour that energy into minding your own business and making sure you are taking care of your own affairs?

05/27/2026

May 27
Guard on Duty

Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.
Psalm 141:3 (NIV)

When you think about the duties human guards perform, some specific tasks come to mind. They are generally assigned to watch and protect something of great value, such as a precious gem, a bank, a community of homes, or even another person. They might be on the lookout for danger or intruders, or they may patrol to perform routine checks to ensure doors are locked and everything is in safe, working order. A successful guard must be dedicated to their post with laser-sharp focus (any movie involving a jewelry heist will show you the first thing a thief must do is distract the guard!).

You have likely acted as an overseer of something before, even if it is not your actual employment. Parents guard their children against harm, and people purchase alarms to help protect their cars from getting stolen or their homes from being broken into. You defend the things that are important to you, and the Bible says that your lips, or your words, are worth extra protection.

Visualize your mouth as a solid door. You are the gatekeeper of what is allowed to come out. Therefore, you must be dedicated with the same focus and care as a guard to ensure that you are not letting thoughtless words just slip by. Before you speak, look for danger. Look for words trying to escape with the intent of intruding or causing harm to others and stop them! By standing guard over your lips, you can help safeguard the words you say.

Pause to Ponder: Are you unaware or careless with the words you say? Today, would you ask God to help you set up a guard at the door of your mouth?

05/27/2026

Ya'll come on out this Sunday and help welcome and worship with "Strings 4 Him" and lunch afterwards. Hope to see ya there.

05/25/2026

May 24
The Center of It All

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1 (ESV)

The opening verse of the Bible appears to be straightforward. But if you take some time to dive into these ten words, you will be amazed at what is revealed about the character of God! Here are a few truths we can draw out from this particular verse. Can you find more?
God is at the center of this story. He is the subject, and He is central to everything. This story is about Him.
God was already there when the story began. Job 36:26 says, “Indeed, God is great—beyond our knowledge; the number of His years is unsearchable” (BSB). Though this is the beginning of a story, it is not His beginning. This is where He began our story and invited us to be a part of His existence, which was already there.
God is not His creation. He is the Creator. There is a distinction between who God is and what He created.
God is powerful and intentional! From its start, not one part of His plan for creation was a coincidence or accident. He set out to do precisely what He said, and He, in all of His infinite power, accomplished it!
“In the beginning” implies there is an end. Our days are numbered (Job 14:5). There is an urgency to do all we can with the time we have.
All things are dependent upon God and have Him to thank for their existence.
So, when you open your Bible to the beginning, remember that God has invited you to be a part of His one-of-a-kind story.

Pause to Ponder: What truth stood out to you from Genesis 1:1? Take some time to examine this verse further and see if you can discern another truth about God or His character.

05/23/2026

May 23
More, More, More!

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Matthew 5:6 (NKJV)

How much of your day is spent on things that do not truly satisfy you, where you consume and consume, yet you’re still empty? Hunger is the price you will pay when you dedicate all your time to feeding your flesh. Maybe that looks like trying to escape through watching television or playing on your phone. Or perhaps it’s through shopping or gambling. It could even be literal food. No matter what your flesh is craving, it will always leave you hungry for more, and you will never truly be satisfied.

But Jesus says those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled! This type of hunger ends in satisfaction. There is peace, security, love, joy, and confidence in feasting upon God’s goodness. To strive for righteousness, you must conform to the will of God and not your earthly desires. It does not mean you will be perfect. No human can achieve perfection. But if your heart truly desires what God says is good and right, then He is faithful to fill you up. John 4:14 says, “But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst, but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life” (NASB).

Pause to Ponder: Do you have an appetite for righteousness? Or do you spend more time consuming earthly pleasures?