Christ Community Church of Greenwood

06/12/2026

06/12/2026

Forty Forty Challenge: Acts 8:26-40. Challenge: Do your walk at sunrise or sunset. Thank God for His creation.

06/12/2026

Day 163

“But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”
~ Luke 22:32

What a powerful verse packed full of amazing and encouraging truths! Jesus doesn’t just pray for us but rather pleads for us!! Knowing Peter was going to deny Him he still, upon repentance, received him and commissioned him! Praise the Lord! But the command at the end, this is what I want to focus on briefly. “Strengthen your brothers.”

I am my worst critic! I can give 110% and still tear myself apart over the smallest mistake. I may stumble over a word or when talking to fast mispronounce something in a sermon and make myself feel like a complete failure. I pray about it and ask the Lord to help but it weighs on me in everything I do.

Maybe you are like me and maybe not. Maybe you have no worries and no need of encouragement. Regardless of that, Jesus tells us here that we are to strengthen each other. It should be a driven task in our Christian life!

The world is negative! It will tear you down, chew you up and spit you out without missing a beat! Between the world, the enemy of our soul, Satan, and ourselves we are bombarded all the time with negativity! If we are not laser focused we will slowly become just another negative voice in the world!

We joke, play around, speak our mind, jab with sarcasm, give a pat on the back all the while never speaking a word to strengthen others. It can become second nature to point out the bad, expect the mistake and complain about the negative.

Make it a point to tell people today, out of the blue, unprompted (and not following a sarcastic joke) an encouraging word. There is a guy I work with that will randomly tell people, “You’re amazing!” If nothing else, he makes you feel noticed!

Let this be your mission today, “strengthen your brothers!” Let God use you to lift someone up today and encourage their faith!

“Father, in this ever so negative world help me today to be my brother’s keeper and encourage others in their walk with you! In Jesus Name! Amen!!

06/11/2026

06/11/2026

Forty Forty Challenge: Day 11 - Acts 7:54-8:25 - Challenge: Unfollow or Mute 5+ Social accounts that distract you from Jesus.

06/11/2026

Day 162

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.” ~ Luke 22:21

Harvesting wheat in biblical times generally consisted of 3 steps: 1. Picking, 2. Threashing, and 3. Sifting. All three were necessary to get to the finished product. Seams simple but for the wheat it was a brutal process!

Jesus, in this passage, uses this analogy to explain, not just to Peter (Simon), but to all the disciples that this is what we can “expect” in our walk with Jesus!

Sifting was the process of throwing the wheat in the air and letting the wind blow away the lighter husks and chaff leaving a more pure wheat. It was also shaken through a pan type holder with openings just big enough to let the wheat fall through and nothing else.

When thinking about it in relation to our walk with Jesus and the fact that Satan is wanting to do this to all of us seems a bit harsh! Why would the Lord allow this?!

Because it is the best process in refining our hearts to get to the pure, inner person! Today you may be struggling with somethings in your life or your past. Maybe issues today you are trying to get right with the Lord or maybe past mistakes that you still carry the burden of.

This is the sifting process! Let God have those things that have been revealed as “chaff!” The temptations of today are “seen and known” so we can let the wind of the Spirit push them away! The sifting is revealing impurities that we need to repent of and surrender to the Lord! In the end we are able to serve the Lord in holiness and purity!

Neither process is fun…but necessary for us to see and know the areas of our life that need the love and grace of God!

“Father, I pray today not that I can avoid the sifting, rather, like the psalmist I pray, remove any and every thing in my heart that does not praise you! In Jesus Name! Amen!!”

06/10/2026

Forty Forty Challenge, Day 10: Acts 7:30-53.
Challenge: Fast from something small today such as sugar, social media, or TV, and use that time to pray!

06/10/2026

Day 161

“At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” Which means “My God, my God, why have You abandoned Me?” ~ Matthew 27:46

I can’t imagine the physical pain Jesus endured for my sins…but this, this cuts deeper than anything else. MY heart breaks to think of Him crying out like this, all because of my sins! I Can’t imagine what He felt nor can I ever know!

We have a promise that no matter what, God will neither leave us or forsake us. There have been times, in the middle of a trial, it has felt like God was absent…be He is always there! Just like the rainbow, we just need to adjust our position to see it!

Jesus endured this because He was carrying the sins of the world, my sins and your sins, and paying the ultimate price for them…separation from His Father! I don’t pretend to understand it all completely…but I can hear the cry, feel the pain and know the heart break as I read this! How humbled I am to have caused this…and so thankful He was willing to do this for me!

Jesus was the perfect, sinless, spotless lamb of God…and yet He had trials, troubles and problems while He walked this earth…how much more will we who are imperfect, sinful and stained face troubles?! We endure this with Him and can know He will never leave or forsake us! He, however, endured them alone and cutoff…just for you and I!

I’m not sure where you are in your walk with God. You may be reading this and life is “Joy unspeakable and full of glory!” You might be in the midst of the valley and need that reminder that He IS with you!

You may be reading this and have never surrendered your heart to Jesus. My friend, He is calling out to You right now! He endured the cross to pay the price for your sins. And if you call upon Him right now, admit you are a sinner and that He is LORD, He will save you! Just pray to Jesus…right now and right where you are!

“Father, I admit, I am a sinner. I have messed up and have done wrong more times than I can count. Please Forgive me! Come in to my heart! You are The Lord of all and the Savior of my soul! IN Jesus Name! Amen!!”