First 7th Day Baptist Church Of Houston

06/23/2026

https://youtu.be/0O7HHH9yziU?is=1mUwhDby5Yr9mPQE

06/23/2026

I love the little details in the Bible.

Not just the big moments. Not just the Red Sea parting, David facing Goliath, or Jesus walking on water. I love the verses that seem almost out of place at first glance, the ones you can read right past without giving them much thought.

Take Proverbs 30:28:

"the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings' palaces." (ESV)

Of all the creatures Solomon could have used as an example, he picks a lizard.

A lizard.

Not a lion. Not an eagle. Not a war horse. Not some mighty creature that inspires awe and respect. A little lizard that can fit in your hand.

Yet somehow that tiny creature ends up in palaces.

The more I think about that verse, the more I realize how often God works that way. We tend to focus on strength, influence, credentials, and accomplishments. We assume the people who will make the biggest impact are the ones with the biggest platforms, the most impressive resumes, or the loudest voices.

Then God opens Scripture and says, "Let's talk about a lizard."

Because God's kingdom has never operated according to the world's definition of importance.

When Jesus announced His birth, He didn't start with kings and emperors. He sent angels to shepherds. When He began building His church, He didn't recruit from the elite universities of the day. He called fishermen. When He chose someone to carry the Savior of the world, He chose a young woman from a town so insignificant that people literally asked, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"

God has always had a habit of taking what looks ordinary and placing it somewhere extraordinary.

The funny thing is that I doubt the lizard spends much time worrying about whether it belongs in the palace. It doesn't seem to suffer from imposter syndrome. It doesn't stare at the marble floors thinking, "You know, I really should have gotten a better education before coming here."

It is just a lizard.

Yet there it is.

Meanwhile human beings can spend years convincing ourselves that God couldn't possibly use us because we aren't qualified enough, talented enough, knowledgeable enough, or important enough.

And all the while God is pointing at a lizard.

There is something incredibly encouraging about that.

Most of us live fairly ordinary lives. We go to work. We do chores. We pay bills. We run errands. We take care of families. We show up and do the next thing that needs doing. It can be easy to feel as though those ordinary moments don't matter much in the grand scheme of things.

Yet Scripture is filled with examples of God using ordinary people in ordinary circumstances to accomplish extraordinary purposes.

A shepherd boy became a king.

A fisherman helped build the church.

A carpenter's son changed the world.

And a little lizard became an object lesson that people are still talking about thousands of years later.

Maybe the point isn't how impressive the lizard is.

Maybe the point is that God has always been remarkably good at placing small things exactly where they need to be.

And if He can place a lizard in a palace, perhaps He knows exactly where He is placing you too.

06/22/2026

🌿💙🌼🧡🌺🩵🌿💙🌼🧡🌺🩵🌿

06/22/2026

https://youtu.be/zwXyLZaYsYo?is=K1hlwACL7EsO2mBz

06/22/2026

https://www.youtube.com/live/5vubo8zO8Ac?is=8P3xHMXJPJdWgGSb

06/21/2026

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads

“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” — Billy Graham

Those words couldn’t be truer. The influence of a good father often goes unnoticed, yet it shapes lives for generations. Fathers may not always receive the recognition they deserve, but their love, guidance, and quiet sacrifices leave an everlasting impact.

Some of the qualities of a good father include:

• Being present and making time for his children.

• Leading by example through integrity and strong character.

• Listening with patience and understanding.

• Encouraging and believing in his children’s potential.

• Disciplining with wisdom, consistency, and love.

• Providing a safe and secure environment.

• Expressing affection and regularly reminding his children they are loved.

• Supporting his children’s dreams while guiding them with wisdom.

• Teaching values that will shape them into kind, responsible adults.

One of the greatest gifts a father can give his children is to love and respect their mother. In doing so, he helps create a home filled with peace, security, and stability, while showing his children what a healthy, honouring relationship looks like. Long after childhood has passed, that example will continue to shape the way they love, trust, and build their own families.

A father’s greatest gift isn’t found in what he buys for his children, but in the person he becomes before them. His legacy is written in the hearts and lives of those he loves.

I know I have been incredibly blessed. My dad has been such a wonderful father, and I feel so grateful and honoured to call him my dad. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads who faithfully love, lead, and serve their families—you are making a difference, even when it goes unnoticed.

06/20/2026

Have you ever noticed that one of the most encouraging things Jesus ever did was not a miracle, a sermon, or even a resurrection?

It was being honest.

I think sometimes we accidentally create this picture of faith where a "good Christian" is supposed to smile, never question anything, never struggle, never feel overwhelmed, and certainly never tell God that something hurts. We imagine faith means standing there with everything falling apart around us and saying, "Everything is fine!" while the emotional equivalent of a barn fire is raging behind us.

Then we get to the Garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus knew exactly what was coming. He knew the betrayal was coming. He knew the arrest was coming. He knew the beating, the mocking, the nails, and the cross were coming. And what did He do?

He prayed.

And His prayer was not, "This is great. I am having a wonderful time."

His prayer was, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me."

In other words, if there is another way, I would very much prefer that option.

Yet in the very next breath He says, "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."

That is not a lack of faith. That is faith.

Faith is not pretending you don't have preferences. Faith is not pretending something doesn't hurt. Faith is not pretending you aren't afraid. Faith is bringing all of those things to God and then trusting Him anyway.

Then comes the cross.

As Jesus hangs there, He cries out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

People sometimes read that and wonder if Jesus was doing something wrong by asking that question.

I don't think so.

First, He was quoting Psalm 22, a prophecy written centuries before His birth that describes the suffering of the Messiah with incredible detail. But second, the pain was real. The suffering was real. The weight He was carrying was real.

The Son of God was not pretending.

And maybe that is what I find so comforting.

Because sometimes Christians seem to think that asking God "why" is somehow evidence of weak faith. Yet Jesus Himself cried out in anguish. He Himself asked if there was another way. He Himself brought His pain before the Father.

The problem was never the question.

The problem would have been refusing God's answer.

There is a difference between saying, "Lord, I don't understand," and saying, "Lord, I won't obey."

Jesus did the first. He never did the second.

Maybe that is a reminder some of us need today.

God is not shocked by your questions. He is not surprised by your grief. He is not wringing His hands in Heaven because you admitted that what you are carrying is heavy.

Sometimes faith looks less like standing on a mountaintop shouting victory and more like kneeling in a garden at night saying, "Lord, I don't want this. I don't understand this. This hurts."

And then getting up and taking the next step anyway.

That is exactly what Jesus did.

And because He did, there is hope for the rest of us when we find ourselves in our own Gethsemane moments.

06/20/2026