Coleman Street Church Of Christ

05/25/2026

God's Clothing

I am sure there are some clothing styles and patterns that each of us are familiar enough to pick out on people; The Burberry plaid scarf, the Carhart work jacket, the Gucci shoes, the Canadian Goose coat, and probably many others.

Paul writes in Romans 13:14, "Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ."

How would we pick out someone wearing that style?

He writes in Romans 13:8, "Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law."

I would say then, that clothing ourselves with Jesus Christ would be recognized by the unmistakeable love shown to all those we encounter.

Dear Lord, help us wear your presence so it is recognized by others as the love we show those around us. In Jesus' name. Amen.

05/25/2026

Attitude

You may have heard this expression, "Attitude determines your altitude." Though it is simple and trite, the message carries truth. Our attitude has a tremendous effect on our lives.

In Romans 14, Paul is teaching about what is important in the church, saying that it is not about following ceremonial laws but about our attitude and why we do what we do. In verses 17-18 he says, "For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too."

If we start with this attitude of Goodness, Peace, and Joy, open to the Holy Spirit's work in us, we can't help but be examples of God's love.

Dear Lord, help us establish positive attitudes each day so that we may handle all that life gives us with Goodness Peace and Joy. In Jesus' name. Amen.

05/25/2026

Like God

Ephesians 4:24, "Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy"

What comes to mind when you think about what it is to be "like God?" Is it the perfectly behaving, boring, judgmental, Christian character from some TV situation comedy?

Actually the stories of Jesus, who is our model of God as human, show that he was nothing like that stereotype. He was humble, controversial, and intelligent but primarily the distinguishing characteristic is his love; Love for all types of people, including the outcasts, lepers, and immoral in society of his time.

In contrast to the stereotype, the actual picture we should have in our minds of being "like God" is that of one who humbly loves all, especially those who seem most "un-lovable." One who searches out those who need God's love most.

1 John 4:16 says, "God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them."

Dear Lord, Help us remember that the objective is not to make ourselves perfect for our own benefit, it is to be like you and share your love with those we can. When we do, we are becoming part of your love in the world. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

05/19/2026

Use What You Have

Matthew 15:32-39 tells the account of Jesus feeding the 4,000 with seven loaves of bread and a few fish. This story shows us the power of God to perform amazing miracles. However, there is another interesting part of the story.

Verse 36 writes, "Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd."

I think there is a lesson here. Jesus doesn't go into a great long prayer explaining how he would like God to provide, he starts with what he had, thanks God for it, and gets to work.

The lesson for us is that no matter how little we may have, we should thank God for it, then get to work using it with faith that God will make things work out. Often we wish and pray for more resources, but maybe we should be praying for more faith.

Dear Lord, Help us remember to be thankful for what we have, and use it in our calling, with faith that you will provide more when we need it. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

05/19/2026

Division Of Labor

One of the keys to the success of the Industrial Revolution a little over 100 years ago, was the idea of "division of labor," where by people specialized in separate parts of creating a product or service, rather that the craftsman or artisan method where one person handled all the activities in creating and delivering the product or service.

I think one of the first places this idea may have been introduced was in the early church. As the early church grew, the apostles found they could not do everything the church needed, so the divided up the responsibilities. Acts 6:2-4, says, "So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”

Many skills are needed in running our churches, and our pastors cannot do them all. There is a calling for each of us to support our Christian brothers and sisters, and support the operation of our congregations. All are important and bring glory to our Lord.

Dear Lord, help us all find the role by which we can serve your church and glorify you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

05/19/2026

Seeing Clearly

You may know that I am a pilot. One interesting thing about flying, particularly flying an instrument final approach into an airport when the clouds are close to the ground, is the process of transitioning from focusing solely on instruments to navigate to seeing the ground "breaking-out" below the clouds and flying the short remaining seconds or minutes looking outside.

After trusting the instruments to identify where you are for minutes or hours previously, it is always a relief to see the runway out in front of the airplane, just where the instruments said it should be. Every time it is a rewarding feeling to see everything clearly rather than having to rely on the instruments in anticipation of seeing with my own eyes.

In a way I think Psalm 119:18 describes something similar, saying, "Uncover my eyes so that I may see the miraculous things in your teachings." GW

On occasion God does "uncover our eyes" and makes some Biblical teaching crystal clear to us; We have what some call an "ah ha" moment. It is a very rewarding feeling to recognize when this happens, and hopefully the better understanding helps us act more in line with God's will.

Dear Lord, thank you for giving us the bible as our guidebook for our lives. Thank you also for revealing the miraculous things in your teachings. Help us use them for your will. In Jesus' name. Amen

Daily Short Christian Devotional Message

05/13/2026

Freed From Fears

You may have heard it said that the fear of something is often as bad or worse than the thing itself; Like a child worrying about getting a shot at the doctor's office, or the fear of speaking or performing in front of a crowd; Fearing the difficult professional exam, driver's test, or flying checkride. The fear can sometimes immobilize us from thinking or doing anything.

It is interesting how David writes Psalm 34:4. "I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears." He doesn't say that God prevented the bad things from happening; He says God freed him from his fears. We don't know why God allows some bad things to happen to us, but knowing that he will take away the fear is a blessing in itself. It allows us to endure our struggles with peace, which can be an amazing witness to others.

Dear Lord, free us from the fears we have that prevent us from moving forward in faith. Help have the peace that comes when we do not have fear because we are putting our trust in you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

05/08/2026

How To Choose

I think we all occasionally have the need to choose between two seemingly equal alternatives, taking a new job, which college, house, which applicant to hire, or which contractor even.

Acts 1:24-26 tells the story of the process the disciples used to select a replacement for Judas, who killed himself after betraying Jesus, which we can use as a model for making our decisions.

Acts 1:23-26 writes, "So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas also known as Justus and Matthias. Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven."

Though the disciples decision was much more important than many decisions we may need to make in life, I believe the process is the same. With those who should be part of the process, your family, spouse, or church board, we identify the alternatives, pray and listen for guidance, then choose. Then we should move forward in faith, trusting that God will help us stay on the right path.

Dear Lord, as the disciples prayed, "you know every heart," including our own. Help us remember to come to you for guidance with our decisions in life, trusting your guidance. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

04/21/2026

Guard Your Heart

"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." Proverbs 4:23

The author of this proverb, likely Solomon, was obviously not writing about our physical heart, but that part of our consciousness that controls our moral outlook, strongest feelings, and our passions. It is also the part of us that can be manipulated into false beliefs.

I think what the Proverb is telling us is that our heart, this moral consciousness, must be controlled by our mind, our conscious decisions and disciplines, not the other way around. By guarding or hearts from manipulation we stay in control of our lives, and even better, we direct our passions to the noble pursuits God desires.

Dear Lord, we are each beautifully and wonderfully made, but unless we follow your design for ourselves, we can be misled away from your will. Help us guard our hearts so that we will use them to bring passion and energy to your glory. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

04/21/2026

What You Believe

Henry Ford is quoted as saying, "If you think you can do a thing, or think you can't do a thing, you're right."

I have heard the same concept said this way, "If you believe something is not possible, it is not possible, for you."

What these quotes are emphasizing is the importance of belief; but the belief in ourselves. Belief in ourselves is important and useful in our lives, however, belief in God has unlimited power. Jesus tells us in Matthew 19:26, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible," and when Jesus healed the blind man in Matthew 9:29, Jesus said, "According to your faith let it be done to you."

God created everything, how can we question His ability to do anything. Sometimes it is our doubt an disbelief that puts limits on the things God wants to do for us.

Dear Lord, help us come to You with faith in Your power. Strengthen our belief in You to act in our lives and in our world. In Jesus' name. Amen.