New Life MCC Gastonia

09/06/2026

WE ARE SPIRITUAL FAMILY
by
Rev. Dawn Flynn
September 6, 2026 (New Life MCC)
Scriptures: Old Testament - Exodus 12:1-14 (sermon text); Psalm 149; Gospel – Luke 14: 15-24.

Today we come together to worship our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Today we come together in joy for what Jesus has done for us through His teachings, death, and resurrection. Today we come together in anticipation of our Lord’s Second Coming and the day when we will be with Him forever. And today we remember that special time, if we share Holy Communion together during our worship, as Jesus shared with His faithful disciples on Holy Thursday during Passover week. Today in our Scripture from Exodus, Jehovah prepared the Hebrews for the Passover to ensure that the Angel of Death passed them by.

We remember, as we read in Exodus 12:1-14, how God gave specific directions on how to prepare the lamb and put the blood on the door posts and lintel to ensure the sparing of God’s people from the Angel of Death. God tells them how the lamb had to be, as it says in verse 5, “a lamb without blemish”. And how it says in verse 11, that it’s “blood shall be a sign for you …when I see the blood, I will pass over you and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you”. This was all foreshadowing how the Creator’s Son, Jesus Christ, would be the lamb without blemish, who would be sacrificed for our sins and save us from eternal death and separation from God.

Jehovah was showing us what love is through the example of the lamb without a blemish and through the sharing of a meal. Meals during the Old and New Testament times were significant events. Not only were they times of feeding oneself and gathering with family but they were times of spiritual renewal. They were times when God’s love was shared. If there were people in the community who didn’t have enough food, you would reach out and share your meal with them. And in so doing, you bonded with them and they became part of your spiritual family. God shows us in the sharing of this Holy meal that Jehovah is bonding with us. Jehovah is making us a part of a spiritual family.

That’s the reason why Paul wrote to the First century church in Corinth, as we read in I Corinthians 11, about the meaning of communion. Communion was a very special event instituted by God. God was making us part of a spiritual family and they were abusing it. They were making it an o**y and getting drunk. Paul wanted them to understand that communion was instituted by Jesus, as stated in verse 26, to “…proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

Jesus tells us, in the Parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14:15-24, about how we should view the Lord’s Supper. The parable tells of how a man who was going to give a great banquet so he sent his servant out to bring those who had been invited to the meal. But they all made excuses. So, the man became angry and told his servant to bring in the poor, the maimed, the blind and the lame and to fill the house. For none of those who were initially invited shall taste of the banquet. Jehovah initially invited the Jews to the banquet. But they declined to come. They presented Jehovah with all kinds of excuses. Those that are the maimed, blind, and lame are the Gentiles. That’s you and me. We are the whosoever of John 3:16. We are now invited to the banquet. Jehovah has prepared the feast and it is ready! We should not refuse God’s offer. Jesus, through His death and sacrifice, has prepared the banquet so the feast has been purchased at a great price.

When we partake of Holy Communion, it comes with another price. It comes with the price of repentance and obedience. We must come with a contrite heart, ask for forgiveness, desire to please God, and serve Jesus above all things. Jesus tells us further in Luke 14, verse 26, these words, “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Clearly, Jesus is telling us no person or anything can be permitted to take precedence over Him. We must come with an open heart to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, most of us were not able to share Holy Communion together in corporate worship. God understood that and Jesus’ blood covered us until we were able to partake together again. When we were able to gather together again and share communion together, we had to take numerous safety precautions to protect us from passing the disease to one another. And when we did share Holy Communion together again, we did it with with joy, knowing that we had been invited to share a meal with our Lord and Savior. That Jesus was confirming to us that we are part of His spiritual family.

As our Gospel in Matthew says, “Where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am also”. Jesus is with us when we worship, regardless of where it is, how many are gathered together in worship, and whether it is in our sacred church building. Jesus promises He is among us if we gather in His Name.

Thank you, Jehovah, for Your incomparable gift of love, in Jesus Christ, our Lord!
Thank you, Jesus, for making us a part of Your spiritual family!

In Jesus Name. Amen.

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08/30/2026

OUR CROSS
by
Rev. Dawn Flynn
August 30, 2026 (New Life MCC)
Scripture: Old Testament: Jeremiah 15: 15-21; Psalm 26:1-8; Gospel - Matthew 16:21-28 (sermon text)

During Lent our focus is on Jesus’ walk to the cross. We are called to remember how Jesus suffered for us. How He was scourged and beaten by the Romans before He was led to the cross to be crucified on trumped up charges.

In Matthew 27:27-32 we read these words: “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him, and put a crown of thorns on his head, and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him they mocked him, saying ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him. As they went out, they came upon a man of Cyrene; Simon by name; this man they compelled to carry his cross.”

I want us today to focus on the story of man who was called out of many to make a difference for Jesus and his example for you and me. I want us to look at the story of Simon of Cyrene who carried Jesus’ cross to Calvary.

Let me set the scene for you. William Barclay, in his Commentary of Matthew, describes the scene. He says “When a condemned criminal is led away to be crucified, he is placed within a hollow square of four Roman soldiers. It was customary for the criminal to carry the crossbeam of his cross. The upright for the cross was already waiting at the place of ex*****on. The crime he committed that caused his ex*****on is written on a board, which is either hung on his neck or carried by the officer in front of the procession. This board is later affixed to the cross for all to see. The criminal is then led to the place of his crucifixion by the longest route possible so all could see and take warning of the consequences of their act.”

In the Matthew 27:27-32 Scripture quoted above, Jesus underwent a terrible scourging. On top of that he had been up all night before the High Priest and Pilate. He was exhausted and hurting which would explain why he stumbled under the weight of the crossbeam, which was probably about 150 pounds. The Roman soldiers had the right, at any time, to force any Jew to do as they pleased. So, when Jesus stumbled, Simon the Cyrene, from Northern Africa, was told to carry His cross, he did so under fear for his own safety.

Let’s look at Simon for a minute. The writer of the Gospel of Mark in Chapter 15, in his account of Simon carrying the cross for Jesus, says in verse 21 that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus. Since Mark made a special point of making this observation, it seems probable that Alexander and Rufus were well known in the church. Simon was probably a devout Jew who came to worship Jehovah during Passover and who, along with his sons, became followers of this Jesus for whom he carried His cross, which was an act that changed his life forever.

But what about us?

Jesus tells us, in our Gospel lesson today, that we, too, must do as Simon did. Our text is the focus of that command from our Lord.

The text clearly tells us that we must do three things if we are to follow Jesus and live a Christian life. Jesus discourse with his disciples in our text is not the first time He has told them what they must do to be His follower. He tells them over and over again as recorded in Matt. 10, Mark 8, Luke 9, Luke 14, Luke 17, and John 12. The three things are: (1) One must deny one’s self; (2) One must take up their cross; and (3) One must follow Jesus Christ. Let’s look at each of these in a little more detail.

(1) One must deny one’s self. When we think of denying one’s self, we think of giving up something. Maybe it’s giving up certain pleasures for a good cause. That certainly is part of what Jesus is talking about but that is only part of it. For Jesus, to deny one’s self means that in every moment of every day, we say no to self and yes to God. It means to dethrone self from the center of our life and enthrone God. It means to make God the ruling passion of our lives. It means to be constantly saying yes to what God asks us to do.

(2) One must take up their cross. What does this mean you may ask? How can I take up a cross? Jesus was the one crucified not me. Jesus took up His cross as a burden of His sacrifice for you and for me. The Christian life is a life of sacrificial service. We have to abandon our personal ambitions to serve Jesus. We may have to go to a place or take a job that has small reward or prestige. We may have to sacrifice our leisure and pleasure to serve our fellow man. We may have to give up the comforts of our home to fulfill the call to serve the youth or visit someone that is lonely in a nursing home or is a shut-in at home. The Christian life is one that is always more concerned with others than with our selves.

Charles Spurgeon, the great English preacher of the 19th century, says it’s really not our cross that we carry, but, like Simon the Cyrene, it is Christ’s cross that we carry. When we’re harassed for being holy, when our faith brings us mocking, it’s because we’re carrying Christ’s cross. And we are carrying His cross after Him. He is in front of us, marking our path with His footprints. He walks before us like a shepherd does before his sheep. And we should be delighted to carry the cross of our Lord!

(3) One must follow Jesus Christ. That means we must render Him our perfect obedience. I remember as a child playing a game called ‘Simon Says’. In the game one person was chosen to be the leader and everyone else had to do whatever they said to do as long as it was prefaced by ‘Simon Says’. You had to give perfect obedience regardless of how difficult or ridiculous it was. The Christian life is like that. We must constantly follow our leader, Jesus Christ, regardless of how ridiculous it makes us look to the world. We are to follow in the footsteps of Christ, wherever it may lead us.

So, the question to us today is this – Are we carrying Jesus’ cross daily like He tells us to? Jesus assures us that when we fail, He will pick us up so we can continue to grow in our walk with Him but we need to consciously commit ourselves to carry His cross daily.
Are we proud to suffer for His namesake or do we avoid situations that may bring us persecution?

Luke 9:26 says – “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Chosen One be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Creator and of the holy angels.”

Jesus suffered and died for your and my sins. He tells us that we must be willing to suffer, for His namesake, here on earth if we are to attain the crown of righteousness that He has for us in heaven.

We must do it. We must take up our cross daily and suffer for Him. Remember Jesus’ sacrifice for you. He gave everything for you and me. He deserves no less than our complete obedience.

In Jesus Name. Amen.

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08/24/2026

THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH
by
Rev. Dawn Flynn
August 23, 2026 (New Life MCC)
Scriptures: Old Testament - Isaiah 51:1-6 (sermon text); Psalm 138; Gospel – Matthew 16:13-20.

How many of us have gotten a bottle of pickles and struggled to open it by twisting the top? Yup. I thought so. Regardless of our age or s*x, when we don’t have the strength to open a lousy bottle of pickles, we feel deflated and stupid. When that happens, I’ll bet we say to ourselves ‘You pathetic weakling!’ Don’t we say that? Oh, we eventually get the bottle open by whacking it against the edge of the counter or run it under hot water or hit it with a knife handle or get a special wrench for opening jars. But the experience is frustrating. We get it open but at the cost of our pride.

Physical strength is the sign of youth and health. We don’t want to hear it but it’s natural for our physical strength to diminish as we get older. Society frowns on natural loss of physical strength, but God doesn’t. In fact, God says it can be a sign of maturity and strength.

The Apostle Paul says in II Corinthians 12:10, “For the sake of Christ, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” Did you hear that? For when I am weak, then I am strong. Weakness for Paul was not demeaning. It was something to be desired because when he was weak, he relied on Christ for strength.

I will venture to say that everyone reading this has felt weak during a trial. We all have. We get frustrated, our hope leaves us, and we feel like giving up. All of us know that feeling all too well.
When confronted with our trials we need to remember the Lord is our strength and we need to believe in our worth to our Creator.

Each one of us is important to God’s plan for salvation of the human race. Each one of us has been given special gifts to reach out in love to the people we meet. Bishop Emma Omon said in her 2014 sermon, “God’s Plan for Your Increase” these words: “God is always searching for someone who feels God’s heartbeat and is willing to midwife God’s purpose on earth. God has an agenda on earth and is looking for someone with which to partner to establish the Lord’s agenda on earth. When God finds such a person, the Lord will bless that person and increase him or her greatly. Your background is not the issue because when God blesses you for God’s blessing overrides your background and empowers you to succeed in life. Your qualification is not the issue because when the Grace of God comes on you, Grace overwrites your qualification. God is looking for a covenant heart! God wants a covenant relationship with you.”

Did you hear that? God’s plan and need for you and me has nothing to do with whether we are qualified. It has nothing to do with whether we are LGBT or straight. It has nothing to do with how many degrees we have or where they are from. It has nothing to do with how much money we have in the bank. It has nothing to do with how high our position is in the company we work for. It has everything to do with whether we are willing to covenant with the Lord and change the world for our Creator and Savior. Since I let go, trusted God and let God be my strength, I have been blessed beyond measure!

Listen again to our Old Testament lesson from Isaiah 51: “Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness, you that seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, but I blessed him and made him many. For the Lord will comfort Zion [that is, God’s people]; the Lord will comfort all her waste places, and will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.”

All of us who seek righteousness, the Lord says will bless like Abraham and Sarah were blessed because God will covenant with us. The Lord will comfort us in our waste places [that is, our trials] and will make them like the Garden of Eden that God made for Adam and Eve in Genesis which was perfect and full of beauty. We will be so comforted we will be filled with thanksgiving and song. When was the last time you woke up in the morning and spontaneously broke into song, praising God? I venture to say that for most of us it has been too long because we have let the pressures society places on us deaden our joy including economic stress, hatred, racism, and killings. What society says about us should not dictate how we feel about ourselves. No matter our skin color, our religious faith, our nationality, and our gender expression, we are all children of the King. We should be daily full of joy and singing because we are sanctified by the blood of Jesus and our future is set!

God says in Psalm 138: “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies [that is, those who sling insults upon us and want to harm us]; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill the Lord’s purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.”

Wow! Did you hear that? Let me say it again – “The Lord will fulfill the Lord’s purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.” I don’t know about you but that sounds great to me. That gives me all the reason I need to be daily full of joy and to break into song (even if just in the car).

I encourage all of us to embrace God’s promise to preserve us from our enemies and to embrace the Apostle Paul’s admonition to count our weaknesses as opportunities to show the world that the Lord is our strength. Stand tall, be proud of who you are and experience God’s blessings for you!

In Jesus Name. Amen.

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08/16/2026

FEAR NOT, FOR I AM WITH YOU
by
Rev. Dawn Flynn
August 16, 2026 (New Life MCC)
Scripture: Old Testament - Isaiah 41:8-13 (sermon text); Psalm 27; Gospel – Luke 12:4-12.

Have you ever been afraid to enter a room, especially a dark room?

Have you ever heard a noise in a room at night, were sure that someone was in the house and wanted to go look for either a gun or a baseball bat?

Have you ever watched a TV show or movie and found yourself having nightmares afterwards, dreaming that you were experiencing the horrifying experiences?

Have you ever thrown a book down that you were reading because what you read ‘scared you to death’?

Most of us can identify with at least one of the statements I just mentioned at sometime in our life. For some of us it was when we were a child and we watched a movie or show that we shouldn’t have, having nightmares all night. For some of us it was when we entered a dark room and were terrified because we heard noises we couldn’t pinpoint.

All of us experience fear. Fear is a natural emotion of being human. Fear can be a good ally telling us when we should avoid situations that could be harmful to us. Fear can also be harmful in that it could prevent us from stepping out on faith in situations where our fears are really unwarranted.

Today’s Scripture is about fear. God gave this Scripture to the Prophet Isaiah some 1300 years ago. Isaiah was a Prophet whom Jehovah asked to speak against the sins of the Southern Kingdom. Isaiah spoke against the Israelites who were oppressing their own people. He spoke against those who were not following God’s laws. He spoke against the nations whom the people of Judah were allying with to protect themselves from the Assyrians. He spoke against all the other nations whom Judah was relying on for help and support. Through the Prophet Isaiah, God told the remaining people of Israel left in Judah that if they did not turn from their ways and trust in God, they would be taken into captivity.

Along with that prophecy of captivity, God also told them, as recorded in Chapter 41 that there would be a remnant that would survive.

In verse 8 we read these words – “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen…” The Lord chose Israel to be the vessel that the Lord’s will and purpose would be revealed to the world. They were chosen. That promise was given to Abraham and the Lord was going to be faithful to that promise. You and I, due to our Judeo-Christian heritage, are also given that same promise. God’s revelation to the world of the promised Son, Jesus Christ, and His death on the cross for mankind’s salvation, is also to for us.

God’s commitment to that promise is reiterated in verse 9 when the Lord says “You are my servant; I have chosen you and not cast you off.” Regardless of what sin we commit, outside of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, God will not cast us off. God is committed to fulfilling the promise made to Abraham.

In verse 10 the Lord says, “Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God;”

Wow! Fear not. The Lord is saying ‘Even though times may get tough (like right now with the tough economic conditions of today) and it may look like there isn’t any hope, remember My promise. Remember I told you that I am your God and will not forsake you. Never will I forsake you. I am a God of My word’.

Regardless of what affliction comes, God has chosen us. If poverty knocks on our door, it doesn’t matter because God is in our house. If sickness comes to our house, it doesn’t matter because Jesus is our Balm of Gilead that heals our sin sick soul.

God also tells us that no matter how hot our furnace may get, the Lord is still with us. Remember the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Book of Daniel? Remember how they remained faithful to the Lord even though they were told that if they did not bow to the graven image they would be thrown into the fiery furnace. And how, when they were thrown into that fiery furnace, they were not alone. For the Scripture says in Daniel 3:24-25 that King Nebuchadnezzar said to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire? They answered the king, ‘True, O King.’ He answered, ‘But I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” Most Bible scholars believe that Jesus Christ, Himself, came down from heaven and walked with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in that fiery furnace. God was true to the promise made to Abraham’s descendents of never forsaking those that are chosen.

When you’re afraid and sitting alone, not knowing where you will find a friend to talk to, remember that the Creator and Jesus, the Promised One, are right there with you.

Fear not, for I will never forsake you.

Jesus came into this world, lived among us and experienced our pains and sorrows. He was truly human. He suffered hurt. He suffered pain. He experienced joy. He experienced fear in the Garden of Gethsemane. He experienced rejection and feeling like He had no one to turn to when God turned away from Him as He hung on the cross. He experienced death, the one thing that we all must face someday, the one thing we all wish could pass us by. Jesus experienced it all. And He gave us the same promise as God did to Judah through Isaiah. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 28:20, “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

Fear not, for I am with you.

Remember that when God and Jesus say that They are with us and we have nothing to fear, that doesn’t mean we won’t have to go through a furnace. That doesn’t mean that we won’t experience pain and suffering. That doesn’t mean that all things will be ‘hunky dorry’ as my mother used to always say.

It does mean that when the bad times come and we are in the furnace, that They will be with us and we will come out alive. We may be singed, but we will not be permanently damaged. God will use the bad somehow to bring about good and God will allow our experience in the furnace ‘purify us’. The only way precious metal is purified is by going through the furnace. Jesus died for you and me because He considered us precious. Whether we consider ourselves precious or not, Jesus does. And thank God He does.

You and I owe it to ourselves, and most of all to our Creator in heaven, to fear not because we know that we are in good hands (and I’m not talking about All State Insurance).

Jehovah wants us to know that we have nothing to fear. That Jesus Christ, the Chosen One, died for our sins and that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are with us always. The Lord is with us today to take away our fears forever. If you have any fears about anything in your life (and I suspect you do), please give them to the Lord today and start living a life without fear today.

In Jesus Name. Amen.

08/09/2026

KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS
by
Rev. Dawn Flynn
August 9, 2026 (New Life MCC)
Scripture: Epistle – Hebrews 12:1-13; Psalm 16; Gospel - Matthew 14:22-33 (sermon text)

There is a story told by James Hewitt about a drought in a village in Crete. The priest told his flock: “There isn’t anything that will save us except a special litany for rain. Go to your homes, fast during the week, believe, and come back Sunday for the Litany of Rain.” The villagers heard him, went home, fasted during the week, and returned to the church on Sunday morning for the Litany for Rain service. As soon as the priest saw them, he was furious. He said, “Go away. I will not do the Litany. You do not believe.” They protested saying, “We fasted and we believe”. “Believe”, he said, “and where are your umbrellas?”

Isn’t our faith sometimes like that? Don’t we say with our mouths “We believe” but when it comes to walking in faith with action, that is, ‘bringing our umbrellas’, we fall short

Our Scripture today is about faith. It’s a story we all should read every day. It’s a story we all need to hear until it is ingrained into our minds.

Jesus has just fed 5,000 by the Sea of Galilee. He sent the disciples out across the Sea of Galilee, ahead of Him, in the boat. After He sent the people away, He went up to the mountain to pray.

The first thing Jesus did after feeding the 5,000 was to pray. He keeps His eyes on the Parent. He asks the Parent for direction. How often do we ask God or Jesus for direction when we finish something? Don’t we just plod ahead to the next thing on our agenda? What about God’s agenda? Could it be that God may have something entirely different for us to do than what we had planned? And how are we to know unless we pray and ask?

Our Scripture goes on to say that Jesus was alone when evening came as the disciples had gone a great distance out into the Sea of Galilee toward the other side. It appears that a great wind came up and the waves were high, beating against the boat. This was not uncommon for the Sea of Galilee because it has high mountains all around it with an opening on one end where winds come swirling through, bringing up great storms. I’m sure you recall the time Jesus stilled a storm on an occasion when the disciples feared for their lives in one of those great storms.

In the fourth watch of the night Jesus started across the water to them. The fourth watch was between 3 am and 6 am. In the Roman-Greco calendar, the night time (6 pm to 6 am) was divided into four watches so the fourth watch was the last quarter, 3-6 am. The fourth watch was a dark time but the sun was probably starting to rise toward the end of it. The sun was probably up enough for the disciples to see someone on the water and that made them afraid, thinking they were seeing a ghost. But Jesus said to them, “Take heart. It is I. Have no fear.”

How often does Jesus do that with us? Doesn’t He often call us out when we’re afraid and say, “Take heart. It is I. Have no fear.” Jesus never leaves us alone. He is always with us. Remember His words to the Apostles as He ascended into heaven recorded in Matthew 28:20, “Lo, I am with you always. Even to the end of the age.” Jesus would never tell us anything that was not true. Therefore, we can rely on His words and know He is always with us. We have to believe and rely on Him.

As soon as Peter hears Jesus’ voice, Peter yells out to Jesus saying “Lord, if it is you bid me come to you”. Jesus said, “Come”. Notice Jesus didn’t refuse Peter. No matter what the situation and how impossible it may seem (such as Peter walking on water to Jesus), Jesus always invites us to come to Him. The impossible is never impossible with Jesus.

Peter did fine walking on the water as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. But as soon as he took his eyes off of Jesus, heard the wind and waves around him, he started to sink. He cried out, “Lord save me!” to which Jesus reached out His hand and caught him.

Isn’t it the same with us? We go out in faith to try something different, something difficult. We start out fine but soon we take our eyes off Jesus and we begin to falter. We start screwing things up. We stumble, maybe eventually giving up. Or we might say. “Hey, things are going great. Who needs Jesus. I can do it myself.” Oh my - bad idea. That’s when it all starts to cave in on us. We just don’t learn. We need to not take our eyes off Jesus. Sometimes we need to just stand still and let Jesus touch us.

I’m reminded of a story by Bruce Larson in his book Wind and Fire where he relates how he almost drowned in the Gulf of Mexico a few years before he wrote his book. He found himself swimming far from shore trying to reach his drifting boat. He wrote:

“I got myself into that predicament by my own stupidity, something not unusual at all. I can remember saying, ‘Well, this is it’. The wavers were 7- or 8-feet high and the sky was dark with gale force winds and lightening. I was drifting out to sea when the word of the Lord came to me and saved my life. What I thought he said was, ‘I’m here Larson and you’re not coming home as soon as you think. Can you tread water?’ Somehow that had never occurred to me. Had I continued my frantic effort to swim back to the shore, I would have exhausted my strength and gone down. In all sorts of situations, we can make matters worse by our frantic efforts save ourselves when God is trying to tell us to standstill. We have gotten ourselves into a hopeless situation and more we do the worse it gets.”

After Jesus rescued Peter He said to him, “O man of little faith. Why did you doubt?” In other words, why did you take your eyes off Me? When we take our eyes off Jesus, we begin to doubt the abilities that God and Jesus have given us. We are children of the King and have been endowed with great spiritual gifts and talents that have come from God. Even in the worst situations, we should never doubt that God is with us or that we can overcome all situations with the Parent’s help.

So, remember, Jesus and Creator are always with us and They have empowered us with the abilities, with Their help, to overcome Satan, temptations, and all obstacles we encounter if we keep our eyes on Jesus and believe.

Are your eyes on Jesus today? If not, they need to be.

In Jesus Name. Amen.