Little Laurel Baptist Church

04/26/2026

03/08/2026

It is not popular to say, but God will do things we don’t like or understand.

In Luke 6, Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath and the religious leaders were filled with rage.

Rage. Not awe and adoration that a miracle had been performed right before their eyes.

Not celebration for the man whose withered hand was restored.

But rage.

Rage. Because Jesus didn’t act in the way they expected Him to act.

And, the truth is, if I’m really honest, I’ve been upset too when God didn’t do things in the way I thought He should do them.

Have you?

What do we do with that? What do we do when things happen that we don’t like or understand?

What about when we think God should have acted in a certain way and He did not?

How about when entire families die in tornadoes; when the friend, you love so much, dies of cancer; when your dad struggles with dementia; when the marriage fails, when that adult child is still running fast the wrong way?

What then?

Do we get mad, then? Are we entitled to be filled with rage, then, like those religious leaders were when Jesus doesn’t act like we expect? (Luke 6:11)

Or do we pray to see God in the midst of what we don’t like or understand?

Do we beg God to help us hold tight to Him and ask Him to remind us of truth about Who He is, and that He is with us even when our circumstances scream that He is not? (Matt 28:20)

On the hardest of days, when we want to walk away, when we long for God to simply act in ways we expect; but He does not, let’s beg Him to let us see His presence.

Let’s ask Him to help us trust Him more than we trust our own understanding. (Prov 3:5-6)

Let’s hold tight to Him and remember, He alone can bring good from hard things. (Rom 8:28)

He is still the Miracle Maker. (Jer 32:27)

And this life, it’s not our home. It’s just a breath. (Psalm 39:5)

One day, every tear will be wiped from our eyes. (Rev 21:4).

Every.
Tear.

But until then, may He give us eyes to see Him, arms to hold tight to Him, and feet to follow Him...even on the hardest of roads.

One day at a time. Let’s ask God to help us trust Him more than we trust us or what our eyes see or our hearts understand.

He is still faithful. He is still good. Let’s help each other remember that.

Daily Seeking Him

02/02/2026

If we follow Christ, we will suffer persecution. Sometimes, this persecution comes from the blood shedding hands of those fighting against Christianity. Sometimes, this persecution comes from those living in our same house, under the same roof. In both cases, our allegiance to God is under attack because it is bringing Holy Spirit conviction to those around us. Good and evil cannot co-exist. Make no mistake about it, we are in the midst of a spiritual battle. As we shine God's light, Satan tries his hardest to s***f it out. Thank God, greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. Greater is our God who is for us than those who are warring against us.

In the midst of the battle, may God be seen in us.
May the humility of Christ shine through us.
May the selfless servant heart of Christ minister through us.
May the merciful, forgiving, grace-filled love of Christ flow out of us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us and through us, may those fighting against us
come to know The One we are fighting for
and surrender themselves to the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, our precious Jesus.~♥

~Heartprints of God~

01/12/2026

A thought to begin our week with: Learning to trade my will for God’s will has made such a shift in my perspective and honestly brought so much peace to my mind.

Instead of always trying to solve my problems myself and ask God to bless my suggestions, I’ve decided to pray out loud, “I’m trading my will for Thy will because I’m so confident You will, God.”

His way really is so much better, friend.
~Lysa

01/11/2026

Are You Seeing God Move Through Your Eyes Of Faith or Are You Allowing Other Peoples Words To Cause You To Doubt?

What will you do with God's yes? Will you grab hold of it? Will you rest in it? Will you move forward with it? So often in life, we encounter rejection and negative situations. There are people all around us that tell us what "they think" we can or cannot do. But what if God has given you a yes? What if the only one that is telling you what you can do is God? Will you step out on His Word or will you bow to the voice of defeat?

Understand, one word from God can change your life. God's "yes" is all you need when you understand the power of His Word. God spoke the world into existence through words. Therefore you should know what He says is true and carries within it the power to change and create situations, circumstances, and atmospheres on your behalf.

If you need a change in your life, you have to believe that nothing is impossible for God. You have to believe that He can and will do whatever needs to be done in you, for you, and through you. You have to see God move through your eyes of faith and not hinder Him through people's words of doubt and unbelief. You have to trust Him and believe that He will back up His Word with signs and wonders following.

If God tell you yes, trust Him, believe Him, follow Him, obey Him, and wait on Him to manifest His promises in your life.

SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
Mark 9:23
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
~Repost from DMWG~

So very fitting for me today !!! Because I can do it...doubt cannot stand in my way

11/27/2025

That battle? The one for which you've run out of solutions and answers… the one that makes you weary and worried and worn out?

God's got it. I don't know who else needs this truth, but I sure do.

Let the Lord fight for you. Save your emotional energy trying to figure things out and instead use it to dig into His Word like never before.

Our job is to be obedient to God. God’s job is winning this battle.

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

~repost worthy

10/26/2025

Pastor Appreciation dinner today, we are all blessed beyond measure for you David McLaughlin !

09/11/2025

Qualifications : The Want to

Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." They didn't ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed.
~Matthew 4:18-20, The Message

Were any of these men qualified to be a disciple of the Most High God? What did they themselves even know about God? How could they possible lead others to God? And yet, Jesus called them into service and they took Him up on His invitation. They had the "want to" and that was all they needed.

What about you? What about me?

Over my lifetime, I have passed up many God-given invitations simply because I felt I was unqualified? I have a feeling you have, too. Like me, you have probably heard the voice of Jesus calling you to follow Him into a new place, a new career, a new direction, a new life and yet, you opted to stay put, right where you were. You may still be in this same, seemingly "safe", spot today.

The disciples could easily have talked themselves out of this new calling. After all, they each already had an occupation. They were each already knee-deep in their livelihood. Peter and Andrew knew how to fish and they were good at it. Matthew not only knew how to collect taxes for the government, but for his own pocket, as well. These men weren't listening for the knock of opportunity. They weren't looking to "find themselves". They weren't looking for God. Yet, when the knock came and the door to a new life in Christ was opened before them, they took the leap of faith and jumped in with both feet.

They were caught....hook, line and sinker.
Why? Because they were qualified? No. Simply because they had the want to.

The Jesus who gave these fishermen the invitation of a lifetime is the same Jesus who calls out to you today.
He is still looking for people;people who are willing to follow,
people who have the want to.

When Jesus calls you, He is not looking at your qualifications. The one who created you knows better than you what you were created to do. The one who formed you in your mother's womb knows better than you that for which you were formed. And He's calling you to follow.......

Will you?
All you need to have is the "want to". ~❤

~partial repost from Heartprints of God~

09/08/2025

Be gentle with your soul today !
yes, you have made mistakes but
you don't have to remind yourself
over and over again. Say it one
time- "You messed up". Accept forgiveness and move forward....

We are our own worse enemies for sure...the devil knows our past....friends & families may know your past....but once you become a child of God...all is washed away never to be remembered again by God....only if we let the devil continue to bring it into existence...and yes...he even uses family and friends to do his dirty work...so when those thoughts surface....say yes I messed up...but I am forgiven !!! What great joy and peace of mind that should give us.....Thank you Jesus for all you did for ME......

08/26/2025

Many more things go right in a day than go wrong, but you will never notice if that one trying moment becomes your focus. Lord, help me make a conscious effort to see the richness of my life and live with gratitude for all of its wonders.
..... If you have more than you need, but still feel it isn't enough, then you are poor. Lord, may I take time to recognize and enjoy my blessings.

from a wonderful friends post.........