South Bristol Church

07/13/2026

07/13/2026

Lord My Strength

I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.—PSALM 18: 1–2

Let me encourage you to reread today’s scripture. David says simply, “I love you, Lord, my strength.” Then he goes on to declare who God is to him. When we think carefully about these truths, we get just a glimpse of God’s greatness and power, and we can easily see why David would say, “I love you, Lord, my strength.” What was true for David is true for you and me today. When you face a difficult situation and you aren’t sure how to pray, I encourage you to turn to this passage and say it to the Lord from your heart. Tell Him that you love Him. Declare that He is the rock in whom you take refuge, your fortress, your deliverer, your shield, the horn of your salvation, and your stronghold. This kind of praise and declaration of truth is very powerful in the spiritual realm, and it brings change in the natural realm.

“I love You, Lord, my strength. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

07/13/2026

Jesus Calling: July 13th
I want you to experience the riches of your salvation: the Joy of being loved constantly and perfectly. You make a practice of judging yourself, based on how you look or behave or feel. If you like what you see in the mirror, you feel a bit more worthy of My Love. When things are going smoothly and your performance seems adequate, you find it easier to believe you are My beloved child. When you feel discouraged, you tend to look inward so you can correct whatever is wrong.
Instead of trying to "fix" yourself, fix your gaze on Me, the Lover of your soul. Rather than using your energy to judge yourself, redirect it to praising Me. Remember that I see you clothed in My righteousness, radiant in My perfect Love.

RELATED SCRIPTURE:

Ephesians 2:7-8 (NLT)
7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

Additional insight regarding Ephesians 2:8: We become Christians through God's unmerited favor, not as a result of any effort, ability, intelligent choice, or act of service on our part. While no action or work we do can help us obtain salvation, God's intention is that our salvation will result in acts of service. We are not saved merely for our own benefit but to serve Christ and build up the church (Ephesians 4:12).

Hebrews 3:11 (NLT)
11 So in my anger I took an oath:
‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”

Additional insight regarding Hebrews 3:11: We can apply this verse as a warning about God's anger in the face of human rebellion against his Kingdom. By rejecting God's provision (Christ) and not enduring in our faith, we miss the opportunity for spiritual rest.

Psalm 34:5 (NLT)
5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

07/12/2026

https://www.youtube.com/live/WJAKFj6QBec?si=iPYPNx2j_BgsETFA

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Sunday Morning Worship 7.12.26Used with permission. Church Copy...

07/12/2026

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Sunday Morning Worship 7.12.26Used with permission. Church Copy...

07/12/2026

Jesus Calling: July 12th
Whenever you feel distant from Me, whisper My Name in loving trust. This simple prayer can restore your awareness of My Presence.
My Name is constantly abused in the world, where people use it as a curse word. This verbal assault reaches all the way to heaven; every word is heard and recorded. When you trustingly whisper My Name, My aching ears are soothed. The grating rancor of the world's blasphemies cannot compete with a trusting child's utterance: "Jesus." The power of My Name to bless both you and Me is beyond your understanding.

RELATED SCRIPTURE:

Acts 4:12 (NLT)
12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

Additional insight regarding Acts 4:12: Many people react negatively to the fact that there is no other name than that of Jesus to call on for salvation. Yet this is not something the church decided; it is the specific teaching of Jesus himself (see John 14:6). If God designated Jesus to be the Savior of the world, no one else can be his equal. Christians are to be open-minded on many issues but not on how we are saved from sin. No other religious teacher could die for our sins; no other religious teacher came to earth as God's only Son; no other religious teacher rose from the dead. Our focus should be on Jesus, whom God provided as the way to have an eternal relationship with himself. There is no other name or way!

John 16:24 (NLT)
24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

Additional insight regarding John 16:24: Jesus is talking about a new relationship between the believer and God. Previously, people approached God through priests. After Jesus' resurrection, any believer could approach God directly. We approach God, not because of our own merit, but because Jesus, our great High Priest, has made us acceptable to God.

Ephesians 4:29 (NLT)
29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Additional insight regarding Ephesians 4:28-32: We can bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit by the way we live. Paul warns us against unwholesome language, bitterness, improper use of anger, harsh words, slander, and bad attitudes toward others. Act in love toward your brothers and sisters in Christ, just as God acted in love by sending his Son to die for your sins.

07/12/2026

Emotions

For we live by faith, not by sight.—2 CORINTHIANS 5: 7

People who live according to their feelings will never truly enjoy their lives. Feelings can sometimes be good, and they also can be bad. I often say that they show up when you don’t want them and disappear when you need them. People share their feelings with me more than anything else, and I probably do the same to others. Our natural tendency is to follow our feelings, but God wants us to be led by the Holy Spirit. Feelings will never go away; we have to deal with their ebb and flow throughout our lives. Emotions seem to have a mind of their own and change without notice. We can have feelings, but we must not let them have us. We cannot let them take the lead or make decisions for us. We can learn to manage our emotions and live beyond our feelings. We can do what we know is right, instead of doing what we feel like doing. I fulfill many responsibilities that I would fail to carry out if I always did what I felt like doing. I am sure you are the same way. Emotions are the number one enemy of the child of God. They lie to us, and if we follow them without examining whether or not they are healthy, we will experience great difficulty in life. We can manage our emotions with God’s help and learn to recognize when the devil is using them to lead us down the wrong path.

“Father, help me not to let my feelings boss me around. I want to follow Your Holy Spirit, not my feelings, but I need Your help to do it. I trust You to teach me how to walk by faith in You, not my feelings. In Jesus’ name.
Amen.”

07/11/2026

Jesus Calling: July 11th
Worship Me only. Idolatry has always been the downfall of My people. I make no secrets about being a jealous God. Current idols are more subtle than ancient ones, because today's false gods are often outside the field of religion. People, possessions, status, and self-aggrandizement are some of the most popular deities today. Beware of bowing down before these things. False gods never satisfy; instead, they stir up lust for more and more.
When you seek Me instead of the world's idols, you experience My Joy and Peace. These intangibles slake the thirst of your soul, providing deep satisfaction. The glitter of the world is tinny and temporal. The Light of My Presence is brilliant and everlasting. Walk in the Light with Me. Thus you become a beacon through whom others are drawn to Me.

RELATED SCRIPTURE:

Exodus 20:4-5 (NLT)
4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.

Additional insight regarding Exodus 20:1-6: The Israelites have just come from Egypt, a land of many idols and many gods. Because each god represented a different aspect of life, it was common to worship many gods to get the maximum number of blessings. When God told his people to worship and believe in him, that wasn't so hard for them - he was just one more god to add to their list. But when God said, "You must not have any other god but me," that was difficult for the people to accept. But if they didn't learn that the God who led them out of Egypt was the only true God, they could not be his people - no matter how faithfully they kept the other nine commandments. Thus, God made this his first commandment. Today we can allow many things to become gods to us. Money, fame, work, or pleasure can become gods when we concentrate too much on them for personal identity, meaning, and security. No one sets out with the intention of worshipping these things. But by the amount of time we devote to them they can grow into gods that ultimately control our thoughts and energies. Letting God hold the central place in our lives keeps these things from turning into gods.