Hilltop Christian Fellowship Clear Spring MD

09/04/2026

💪MEN! SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12th
WEST END BAPTIST CHAPEL
9am - 2pm
Free BBQ LUNCH
Rollin’ Smoke Meats N Sweets Food Truck & Caterer
Text 240-527-3470 to register.
Biblical encouragement for Godly masculinity!

09/04/2026

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th. 2026

Let's face it. People might abuse you, annoy you, try to distract and derail you from your course --- but each of us are responsible for our actions, reactions, our decisions.

All of us have been hurt in some way. No one around us always "got it right" and neither did we.

But my decisions are my decisions. My reactions are my reactions. What I do with my emotions, how I choose to respond, whether or not I stay focused on my goals or let others knock me off track, I can't blame anyone else for that.

The levers and buttons are in YOUR hands.

📖 Joshua 24:15 "Choose this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Choose.✔️

It's the democrats fault. It's the republicans fault. It's moms fault. Dad's fault. My wife. My husband. My son. My daughter. My boss. My pastor. My church. My grandparents. My third cousin. My ancestors. Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.

Stop.✋🛑

Yes, I agree --- people can do some serious emotional damage to us and we do have "mountains to die on" when it comes to religion and politics. ✝️🇺🇲 And yes, abuse is terrible in any form and let's not downplay that all of us have been injured in some way. Good counseling and Biblical psychiatry can be a healthy tool used in healing.

BUT YOU HOLD YOUR NEXT DECISION IN YOUR OWN HANDS.

Jesus has already unlocked your prison cell of self-pity, anger, and suffocating apathy. Now get up and walk towards the door, open it, and walk out into the Sonlight.

👉 It's time to get your life back.

1️⃣ Forgive (doesn't mean forget and doesn't mean erase healthy boundaries.

2️⃣ Fight for your goals. Get back into a regiment and rebuild the broken pieces. Stay committed to the steps that will get you closer to a fulfilling, radiant, vibrant life for the glory of God!

3️⃣ Finally, let God heal your hurting heart and transform those bleeding wounds into scars. Scars that will serve as a testimony as to how God healed you.

✊ And own your decisions. Take responsibility for your own life.

Let no one hold you back. 💪

You get one shot at this thing called LIFE.

🗡️🛡️ So get back on your horse you warrior! Pick up that sword and shield and ride back into the battle with head held high and a heart full of the Spirit! 💪🔥

09/03/2026

09/03/2026

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd, 2026

"Tight-hand theology" means there are some things that are NOT FOR SALE when it comes to Biblical fundamentals.

📖 "Buy the truth and sell it not." ~ Proverbs 23:23

Foundational Biblical doctrines cannot be compromised. Truths about Jesus and His Divinity, work on the cross and Resurrection, attributes of God, ministry of the Holy Spirit, inspiration of Holy Scripture, the legitimacy of Heaven and Hell being actual locations, the need to be born-again, salvation by grace through faith, and other such rudimentary elements to the Christian Faith are "hills to die on", clearly supported all through the Bible.

But whether you sing hymns or contemporary, wear suits or polo's, pants or culottes, read the KJV or NKJV or NASB or ESV or NIV or TLB or NLT or BSB or BLB or AB or CSB or HCSB or CEV or GNT or YLT or NRSV or DRB will be debated until Jesus returns on His WSTB (White Stallion That's Beautiful).

I know, we're all passionate about our views and convictions, but do you know what Jesus said makes us stand out as His disciples? Let's read His own words together:

"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." ~ John 13:35 ❤️

👑 The Founder and President (King) of His own Church said those words. He said that if you and I want to be truly marked as one of His, it will be proven by love. And He didn't even say here "love for God" - though that's important. He said:

🫵❤️ "Love for each other."

Yeah, love defends truth and helps people understand the fundamentals of the faith. Love can appear in different forms and it might not always feel like love to the other.

But to squabble over personal convictions and promote our views on side items of the Faith (dispensationalism, eschatology, Calvinism, spiritual gifts, church music preferences, women in ministry, Eschatology, etc) -- well, quite frankly, some of this is rooted in culture and denominational tradition.

Okay, we all have our preferences, but let's make sure we keep the main thing the main thing. The entree on the plate is JESUS and the fundamentals -- not denominational flavors. And when any "ism" becomes the main entree, center stage, the main attraction, then the devil has done a crafty thing in his slyness to get our attention off of JESUS and how to become more like Him, and how to love God and others better.

09/02/2026

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2nd, 2026

People pleasing is a serious addiction. It is bo***ge.

📖 "The fear of man brings a snare." ~Proverbs 29:25

It begins in childhood. You were hurt, abandoned, rejected, felt forgotten, suffered some level of abuse. You learned that in order to survive emotionally you'd need to try to keep people happy if you want them to stay.

This desire to please others follows throughout the adolescent years and gives in to peer pressure easily. You wanted to be in on the popular crowd, keep that boyfriend or girlfriend, and not be rejected - so you lost your identity, you lost your voice, and maybe your morals too.

And as an adult, you find it difficult to say no when you want to say yes, or yes when you want to say no. Being agreeable and compliant feels safe. Your opinion melts into what the majority thinks about it, your views lie dormant, and your life is a lie. Fearing conflict, you over apologize - over think, and you don't know how to set healthy boundaries because you're addicted to the approval of others. You NEED their validation.

And Jesus wants to set you free from this vice.

📖 "If the Son set's you free, you will be free indeed." ~John 8:36

It's time to find your voice. Not brash or rude, but honest and firm. Stop over explaining everything to everyone. If you know me personally, you know I'm not referring here to justifying sinful behavior, immorality, or non-biblical living. I am a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, a Bible believer. What I am inspiring in this post is the moral courage to do what's right, say what is right, stand up for what is holy, good, and moral without the fear of other's sneers, snarky remarks, or unfriending.

If it's right, say it in love. If it's good, do it anyway. If it's holy, defend it with courage. And if you have the smile of Almighty God then you need no other.

Begin by admitting, confessing, and repenting of being a chronic people pleaser. For whatever reasons, just own it and begin assessing the WHY behind what made you this way. Secondly, practice saying NO when you're tempted to agree with something that is not in keeping with goodness, holiness. And practice saying YES when you're tempted to say no.

Finally, study the life and teachings of Jesus, asking the Holy Spirit for more courage.

📖 "When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God with boldness." Acts 4:31

Your voice for truth matters. Speak the truth though your voice trembles. Stand up for truth even if it clears the room. Find out who leaves and who stays, who is your tribe?

Because God's truths are eternal and will always stand the test of time.

09/01/2026

Cmon Bro👊🤠

08/31/2026

Invite every man! Bring your sons, dads, brothers, nephews, coworkers, men's group! Barbecue lunch provided by Rollin’ Smoke Meats N Sweets Food Truck & Caterer. Biblical encouragement for Godly masculinity! Please share, share with every man you know, no fee, no charge to attend. Text 240-527-3470 if you plan to attend.

08/31/2026

MONDAY, AUGUST 31st 2026

Jesus is good, but not naive. He is merciful, but not compromising.

📖 In Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18 there was a young man known as "the rich young ruler" who literally ran to Jesus, knelt down, said the right words, but Jesus saw right through his ulterior motive to just tack Jesus on to the list of his growing accomplishments in life.

This young man had wealth, status, popularity, and by his own confession worked hard at "keeping the Law" of Moses. In a day when only children ran (men were too dignified and considered running child's play) this rich young ruler *ran* to Jesus, showing urgency. And being a ruler, others knelt before *him*, but here he kneels before Jesus, showing assumed reverence. And then he said: "Lord, what shall I do that I may have eternal life?" Showing that his goal was to get something, not Someone.

Well it all looks legit on the surface right? I mean, if this happened at your church or mine today , we'd be ready to baptize them next week! But Melissa and I are learning to slow down and take time with people to ensure they know what it means to follow Jesus Christ.

But Jesus was not ready to bargain with him, because the man brought his bag of idols with him. You can read the dialogue in the above chapters, but here's what happened:

The Bible says the man "walked away sorrowful, because he had great possessions." The conversation was over when Jesus pretty much said: "Look, this relationship, this friendship will never work as long as I am competing with your stuff. So sell what you have, give to the poor, then come back and we'll talk more about this."

It wasn't that the man had stuff --- but stuff had him. It wasn't that he had possessions, but he had become the possession of his possessions (stuff, status, popularity) --- and he walked away, willing to forfeit his eternal salvation for the crumbs of this fading world. He was used to getting what he wanted in life except for this. Jesus was not the next *box* for him to check. ✔️

And Jesus did not chase after him. Jesus didn't make a deal or dilute the message to make it more palatable. No compromise bargain was on the table. It was all or nothing. And as he walked away, so did Jesus. Because He loves us, but He is so rooted in truth and the reality of Heaven and Hell that He will love us enough to let us walk away from His offer. The rich young ruler didn't really want Jesus, he wanted what Jesus could give him.

And there are people in our lives who don't really want us, they want what we can give them. You fail to meet their expectations, fulfill their secret agenda, stop being their puppet, or prove yourself capable of saying NO -- and they're done with you. They didn't even really get a chance to know YOU that well, but they already assume they know you. And they walk away.

🚶Let them.

It's Christlike to do so.

Be kind, loving, engaging, and represent the Lord well, but if you find yourself being manipulated, conned or controlled, used and abused --- do what Jesus did; don't compromise, stick with the truth, and if they walk away ---- then you do what the Lord did, walk away too.

Because not everyone is meant to be a part of your journey, especially if they're only interested in using you as a step for their next selfish achievement and can't see you as a person to be loved.

God calls us to be gentle, yet discerning. He empowers us to say yes AND no. And He models for us what it means to be embraced in love or rejected by arrogance. And He let's them go if need be.

📖 And if God does this, then why shouldn't you when it's the right thing to do? Not brash or rude, but Christlike and secure, knowing who belongs in your circle and who does not.

08/30/2026

SONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026

If you listen carefully, you will hear a cry welling up from the depths of the human heart. "Is this all there is?" "Do I matter?" "Why can't I find lasting peace?" "I know I was born for more than this." "When does the inward ache subside?" "I am numb, can't do this anymore." "No one can break through the walls around my heart." And so on.

Let's be honest. There are people reading this who smile in public and post pictures like everything is okay, but you know it's not. You've had some pretty dark thoughts of late. Perhaps even suicidal. Depression sinks it's cold talons into your brain and you wonder if you'll ever "feel normal again".

While some things certainly are clinical, requiring medical attention, much of it is spiritual. A spiritual hunger rises from the human heart that only GOD can fill. That's right, only GOD. A true peace of God that Jesus offers through the power and Presence of the Holy Spirit.

You've tried to fill it with money, jobs, promotions, even children (as wonderful as they are), maybe the next marriage, keeping up appearances, material possessions, etc.. And still, you find yourself eventually empty. Because the only One Who can truly satisfy the ache of the human soul is the One Who created it.

The sooner in life you realize this, the better it'll be for you and everyone who knows you. You can spend the next 20 years trying to figure this out on your own, or you can begin today to cultivate a genuine relationship with the LORD. Every day you put this off is another day "X"ed of the calendar of your earthly existence. It is time. Today.

I assure you that if you begin a personal, serious study of the Life and teachings of Jesus, you will see what I mean. Just begin there. Start talking to Jesus, He is very much alive and ready to listen. Be intentional about studying His words, His life. Get to know Jesus. Stop looking at weak, frail humans and focus on the only perfect One, JESUS.

Your life is very brief on this earth. Don't let another sunrise find you without a personal relationship with the LORD and a walk with the Holy Spirit to the glory of God. You will not find true peace and satisfaction anywhere else, I promise you. Not even in any other religion.

And if you die without being what Jesus calls "saved", then you will be lost for ever. And forever is a long time.

Isn't it time? Yes, it is. Today if you hear His voice.....listen to it and get to know the Father.