trust Archives - Faith Assembly Grand Detour

Jesus as Savior and Lord

Posted on 01/08/2021 in Devotions, Perspectives, Real Life | Tags: New year, trust, Truth, Worldview

As we celebrate the beginning of a new year, this annual celebration is always a reminder to celebrate the beginning of my new life that started in January 1996, 25 years ago, that still feels just like yesterday. In 1996, God finished what he had started many years before, and I was born again.

John 3:5-6 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is the spirit.”

At this time, Jesus became my Savior giving me the gift of eternal life, and I received a supernatural fresh start with new desires and a new purpose for life (my testimony for another time). To be completely truthful, it took me a little longer for Jesus to become not just my Savior, but also my Lord. Without Jesus being my Lord, I am quite sure I would have a much more difficult time celebrating the 2021 New Year. I’ll try to explain what I mean by this.

As my Savior, Jesus gave me eternal life. As my Lord, I gave Jesus my life! It’s really that’s simple. We don’t have to make it theologically difficult – which it certainly can be – but that’s not God’s intent.

So when I say 2021 would be more challenging were it not for trusting in the Truth of God’s Word, I am saying all of the challenges below could very quickly consume me with fear and unanswerable questions if I chose to let it. Things like…

The consequences of the coronavirus
Separation and loss of liberty (absolutely we have to protect the most vulnerable)
The uncertainty of the fairness of the 2020 election
Evil that seems to have permeated government at all levels
Medical challenges with family and friends

The Truth of God’s Word wins and helps me stay grounded, which is where God wants all of us to be of use to Him as He continues to implement His perfect plan.

When Jesus is Lord of our life, and our life is His, it provides an entirely new and proper focus. Here are a few of my go-to scripture verses that help me stay grounded:

John 4:23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

Philippians 1:21 For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:27 Whatever happens conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

I encourage you to make Jesus Lord of your life, trusting Him with your life. He has given His life to become your Savior, offer you eternal life, and transform your heart. It’s never too late to receive this gift and submit your life to Him. If you’d like to learn more, please reach out to us.

Author:

Randy Ortgiesen

Elder, Faith Assembly

Apr '20

Our Safety and Hope

Posted on 04/22/2020 in Devotions, Real Life | Tags: anxiety, fear, hope, Jesus, Real Life, trust

Apr '20

During this point in time, our days seem to be filled with uncertainty and fear. We all wait for the most recent Covid-19 updates. Most of us are being prudent in following the advice given to us by our government leaders. They tell us to wash our hands frequently, wear masks, keep our social distance, not to gather, and many other suggestions.

I know God wants me to be prudent in how I react out in public to keep myself safe, but I have to remember that it is God who ultimately keeps me safe. I can trust His sovereignty.

I was reading Psalms 4 the other day, entitled “The safety of the Faithful”. I’d like to zero in on verse 8.

It reads “I will both lie down in peace and sleep; For you alone O Lord make me dwell in safety.”

First of all, David had an awesome relationship with the Lord. The first part of this verse is our responsibility; I will both lie down in peace and will sleep. David was saying that when he would lie down, he would have peace and he would sleep.

Why could he say that? Well, let’s look at the rest of the verse. “For you alone, O Lord make me dwell safety.”

David is saying that because his safety comes from God and God alone he can lie down in peace and sleep.

Proverbs 18:10 it says “The name of the Lord is a fortified tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Psalm 91:1-2 says “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’.

So, here’s bottom line: we rest and are safe in the arms of Jesus. By knowing this you can have peace and sleep well! Even though we live in a fallen world where we are not immune to the challenges of this life, we can rest in the assurance that God is in control and our souls are safe in His care.

Let’s continue to lift each other up in prayer every day and encourage one another as we walk through this pandemic. We don’t have to be afraid. We have a God that is bigger than all of this. God bless you and keep you safe!

Author:

Ken Drew

Elder, Faith Assembly

Apr '20

We Know How the Story Ends

Posted on 04/10/2020 in Devotions, Real Life, Soul Care | Tags: anxiety, Easter, faith, fear, hope, Jesus, Real Life, Resurrection, trust

Apr '20

As I listen to the news and the increase in Coronavirus cases, a fast declining stock market, and additional layoffs, I also watch the birds in my backyard. I am struck again that they don’t seem to worry about what they will eat or what they will do next- they just do it. The birds simply follow the instincts God designed into them and they get fed (Matthew 6:26).

Our human instinct

God also designed humanity with certain instincts including to run, hide, and fight during certain crisis situations and I know I have done this well, and sorry to say even against God. Until we get our new bodies as promised in the Bible, our instincts are corrupted by sin. As a consequence of our fallen human state (even though saved perhaps) during this time of great uncertainty, we worry because there is trouble! We worry about how to avoid illness, being able to provide for our families, and yes – even if we will have enough toilet paper to ride out this craziness.

Are we surprised by this current round of trouble? It certainly could perhaps become the worst many of us have seen in our lifetime, but should we be surprised?

Jesus tells us in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Do we believe what Jesus is telling us?

One of the two criminals crucified next to Jesus discussed in Luke 23 asked that Jesus “remember him when He comes into His kingdom” and since that criminal placed his faith in Jesus and believed him, Jesus response was, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise”.

Revelation 21:4 tells us how the story ends and the ultimate paradise where, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Jesus knew we would face troubling times

Jesus knew we’d have trouble – that’s why he warned us about this and reminds us that He has overcome! The Apostle Paul further reminded us in his letter to the Philippians that “our citizenship is in Heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body” (3:20)

Back to Matthew 6:26, Jesus tells us to “look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

We know how the story ends

Do you believe Jesus? Give Him a chance and you will find Him faithful in times of crisis. It is His nature! He stands ready to draw you unto Himself and transform your heart and mind – even in the midst of troubling times.

Author:

Randy Ortgiesen

Elder, Faith Assembly

Nov '19

Lord, Give Me Faith!

Posted on 11/12/2019 in Devotions, Real Life, Soul Care | Tags: faith, Spiritual Growth, trust

Nov '19

“I may be weak, but Your Spirit is strong in me. My flesh may fail, but my God You never will.”

These are the lyrics to a song called “Give Me Faith” written by Elevation Worship. I’m not sure about you, but these lyrics speak to me every single day of my life. I can think of times where I let my wife down by something I said or did. Or times when I messed up by acting a certain way while competing in sports. Or the countless times in a day when I fail God by not trusting what He says.

“Give me faith, to trust what you say. That you’re good and your love is great.”

God’s word – the Bible – is full of wisdom and is truly the guide to living a life with Christ. I have to continually ask God to help me in my faith of what he says. From everyday situations like how I respond to someone who has made me upset, to major life situations like losing a friend or family member.

God tells us in His word that he will never leave us or forsake us.

There are countless examples of men and women in the Bible who trust God and live out their faith. We can look at Abraham and his predicament to sacrifice his own son. Was that ever God’s plan… I don’t believe so. God’s plan was for Abraham to take the next step of faith and trust in his relationship with him. We can look at the life of Joseph. Joseph went through a lot of trials and unfair treatment, but he never lost his faith in God and continued to trust him through the those times. GOD NEVER LEFT Joseph.

It’s easy to trust God when things are going well, but our true test of faith comes when life gets a little bumpy.

Just because we follow Jesus and are Christians, doesn’t mean life will be easy. But we can trust God’s word that He is good and His love for us is great. That he will never leave or forsake us and has a good and perfect plan for each of our lives.

I believe the first step in growing our faith and trust in Jesus is to recite the lyrics that I first mentioned. “I may be weak, but Your Spirit is strong in me. My flesh may fail, but my God you never will.” I know in my own life that this is a daily process to acknowledge that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. Through my weakness, He is strong.

Please take the time to listen to “Give Me Faith” by Elevation Worship. Pour out your heart to God and ask him to Give you the faith to trust what He says. Because He is good and His love is great.

Author:

Ryan Bivins

Worship leader

Oct '19

Trust in God’s Plan

Posted on 10/16/2019 in Devotions, Spiritual Growth | Tags: faith, fear, hope, Old Testament, Parenting, trust

Oct '19

How many times do we say something we believe in our heart, but turn around the next second and do the opposite? When things are going smoothly in life we praise His name with no problem, but what happens when we get a bump in the road? Do we continue to practice what we believe? Or do we question our beliefs, get angry, lose trust, or even turn away from Him? It is so easy to say we trust God, but when things do not go our way do our actions match our words?

Look at the life of Joseph. He was thrown into a well, sold by his brothers, thrown into jail for something he didn’t do, yet he continued to trust in God’s perfect plan knowing that God was with him through it all. Eventually Joseph would become a major leader in Egypt who would forgive his brothers and save his family from the famine. WOW! I’m not sure I could say that I would do that – but what an amazing example to hear and be encouraged by.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understandings. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

God has a plan for our lives and much of the time we will not know exactly what it’s supposed to look like – that’s when trust comes into play.

Our faith and trust in the one true God needs to be all-consuming in our lives. That way, when we do encounter those bumps we can say with confidence, “God has my back…even when I question the path and things just don’t make sense”.

I am preaching to myself as much as I am encouraging you. Practice having trust and confidence that God has you in the palm of his hand and guiding you through life.

Take ahold of his hand and continue walking even when you cannot stand -He will carry you through.

So how can we raise our kids to have faith and trust in God’s plan like Joseph?

With God’s help.
Because we can’t raise our kiddos without his help.

Be an example.
Our kids are watching our every move. When things don’t go as planned, use those as teaching moments to encourage them to trust in God’s plan. It might be a failed test, a loss on the field, a sick relative, or a disappointment from a friend. It’s not fun to go through those hard times with our kids. But it’s how we will respond and move forward with them after that will be a witness to our unfailing faith in God’s plan.

When we fail.
….and we will….daily….just get back up and go at it again. That is what is so amazing about our Heavenly Father…he never leaves us.

Author:

Jordan Bivins

Faith Kids ministry leader

Jul '18

Lessons We Learn From Our Children

Posted on 07/19/2018 in Devotions, Real Life, Soul Care | Tags: faith, Kids, Parenting, Real Life, Soul care, trust

Jul '18

As parents we often think about all the responsibility and important life lessons we are called on by God to teach our children. While here on this earth, He has given us these wonderful blessings to teach, nurture and care for.

All too often we get caught up in what we can teach them throughout the day, when sometimes we need to sit back and observe the things they are teaching us daily. Here are a few things I’ve observed lately, and maybe you have too:

Childlike Faith

When you look at the life of a child, you see the unwavering faith they have in their parents. They know their parents will pick them up from school without even thinking twice. They know they are going to be caught at the end of the slide while playing at the playground. If we could only have this type of faith in our relationship with our heavenly Father…how much better would we live life unafraid!

Matthew 18:2-3

Jesus called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Worry Less

We tend to worry about something on a daily basis…

What will we have for dinner?
How am I going to pay that bill?
What if the load of laundry with our kid’s baseball jersey won’t be done in time for their game tonight?
What will that other mom think of my child’s lunch I packed while walking out the door?

All of us have stuff stress out about. While our children are young, they may not have those types of stresses in their lives, but they do remind us to stop worrying so much about the small things in life. They live life day to day without thinking about things that don’t matter.

While kids can rest in the care of their parents, so can we rest in the care of our heavenly Father. That issue that’s restlessly plaguing your mind? He already knows all about it, and desires for you to let Him handle it in His way and His time.

Philippians 4:6

Don’t worry about anything, instead, pray about everything.

Enjoying the Simple Things

When very young kids open presents, often times they end up playing more with the box than the actual toy itself. They enjoy the simple things in life: playing peek-a-boo, picking flowers outside, walking to the park, throwing a baseball. It does not take trips to Disney or shopping sprees to please them. All it takes is spending time with them to enjoy life to its fullest. If we could only realize that life does not exist around things and more around relationships… the simple things in life, how much more would we enjoy life and not always be needing (or wanting) the next best thing.

Focus on what matters and practice gratefulness in the simple things every day. We are God’s children and He has given us so many simple things- and relationships- to delight in.

Proverbs 15:16

Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.

Author:

Jordan Bivins

Children’s Ministry Lead at Faith Assembly