First Christian Church Osceola, Arkansas

05/03/2026

Fear grows in what’s missing.
But gratitude focuses on what’s already there.

The blessings you forgot.
The prayers already answered.
The ways God has carried you before.

It doesn’t erase the struggle—
but it changes your perspective.

Because when you remember what God has done…
it becomes easier to trust what He will do.

👉 Save this when fear starts to creep in
👉 Share this with someone who needs peace today

05/03/2026

Until we understand the damage sin causes, we won’t desire freedom from it.

We have to see the death that sin leaves in its wake - in our souls, our thoughts and our actions - to realize that we actually need life. The kind of abundant life we can only find in giving ourselves completely to Jesus.

📖 Quote from “Crazy Love.” Available at crazylove.org.

05/03/2026

05/03/2026

"Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, 'Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?' They answered and said to the king, 'True, O king.' He answered and said, 'But I see four men unbound, 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.'"

Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, 'Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!' Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.'"

Daniel 3:24-28 ESV

05/03/2026

There are 168 hours in a week. Many people attend church for an hour on Sunday. Imagine what could happen if people put half as much effort into worship, praise, prayer, love, kindness, generosity, forgiveness, gratitude, etc., as they do into the other 167 hours of the week. What we do OUTSIDE of "church" is more reflective of our faith than what we do INSIDE of "church."

God bless.

05/02/2026

God hasn't promised an easy life; in fact, He warns us to expect to face trials and tribulations (James 1:2-4, Romans 5:3-5, John 16:33). We will be hated, suffer, and persecuted (2 Corinthians 12:10, John 15:18-20, Matthew 10:20).

Faithfulness includes trust, obedience, and patience (Psalm 9:10, Proverbs 3:5-6). Trust that God loves and knows what is best for us. Trust that He will work things out in His way and time (Isaiah 55:8-9). An integral part of faithfulness is patience and understanding that God is in ultimate control and His ways are far better than ours. It's not enough to say we trust God; fully trusting in God correlates to honoring Him, doing what He has called us to do, and not doing what He has warned us against (1 Corinthians 10:31, Romans 12:2, John 14:15).

With all the "news" surrounding us, we can become distracted, deceived, and divided if we are not careful. We must keep our focus on God and encourage one another to do the same (Hebrews 10:24-25). We needn't fear (Isaiah 41:10). God is with us; He strengthens and will never leave or forsake His children (Ephesians 6:10, 2 Timothy 1:7, Deuteronomy 31:6).

May God bless and keep you.

05/02/2026

Good Morning, Brothers and Sisters!

You've heard me say this before, and it's worth repeating: The result of your day is significantly influenced by the attitude you choose in the morning. A day that begins positively is more likely to continue and end positively, and the opposite is true as well. Take a moment to read and affirm the following, line by line.

Today, I will trust in His timing.
Today, I will rely on His promises.
Today, I will wait for His answers.
Today, I will rejoice in His goodness.
Today, I will believe in His miracles.
Today, I will relax in His presence.

Live and love today like tomorrow will not come; if it does, live and love again. Praying for and wishing you a blessed weekend.

04/07/2026

What is faith? How do I know if I have faith? Why is it so hard to have faith? Why didn't God make us all faithful?

I only wish I had all the answers, more appropriately, all the right answers. Alas, that day will not come until I am with my Creator in Heaven; until then, I will work at being faithful. "Work at being faithful"?! - I recognize the questions this statement may incite - "You claim to be a man of God, yet you must 'work at being faithful'?" What may seem like a contradiction isn't. Let's explore this together and see if we can find common ground.

It is without question within God's power to have created us to be instinctively faithful. We awaken one day and, without effort, trust in God completely. We accept that He is wiser than we. We understand that our future is His memory. We trust that He places people in our lives to love us, hurt us, and help transform us into who He wills us to be. We face our fears with the conviction that God is with us and has given us everything we need to endure and thrive. What a wonderful life that would be, or would it?

God has granted us the gift of free will. Some of you may not see this as a gift; you're not alone there. Plenty of times, I have wished that God would make the right choice for me. I pray, "God, I am weak and a sinner. Surely you know what is best; will you not just this once make this easy for me?!"

Faith is a choice, and like many of the best things we will experience in this lifetime, it does not come without effort and sacrifice. In any situation, we can choose to do what is right and proper or otherwise. The war between God and Satan has already been won. God knows it, and Satan knows it. Yet, Satan works tirelessly to convince us otherwise and entice us to do his bidding. He tempts, "Why go through all the work to do what is good? Why not take the easy way? Everyone else is doing it; look at how happy they are. It's just this one time; go ahead, nobody will know. If it feels good, it can't be wrong" and on and on… Yet again, satan sits judged WRONG ON ALL ACCOUNTS!!! God is watching; He is always watching! He longs for us to honor His will and do what is right and pleasing to Him. He has given us the power and the ability, but the choice is ours.

How do I know if I have faith? I have faith when I consciously choose what is right over what is easy, and what a blessing when the two are one. I have faith that when I surrender my fears and worries to God, He will give me the strength to endure and succeed, and He will carry me when I am weak. I have faith when I rebuke society's popular insistence that I must care for myself above all others; I must have the latest, biggest, and fastest gadgets, gizmos, and "whatchamacallit's" to be happy and accepted. I have faith when I trust God with each moment He has so lovingly given. I have faith when I realize that these moments, although sometimes difficult, are so very precious. I have faith that when I trust God, He is preparing me for something grander than my flesh could ever imagine. I have faith when I love Him with everything I have, and I commit my life to love others as He has loved me. Faith is a choice, a journey whose rewards greatly surpass its challenges.

God bless