Category: Mindful Bible Reads

Author: Pastor Andrew

I know as much about gardening as a toddler about the moon landing. But I know two basic rules: Firstly, water your plants. Secondly, pull out the weeds. That’s the extent of my knowledge!

Here’s where I’m going with this. Your relationship with God is like a garden. You should plant healthy seeds, water them with Scripture, serve others, and develop Jesus-like character. You also have to be intentional about pulling weeds, guarding your heart against the evil one, by getting rid of distractions or anything that blocks God’s love from getting to your heart.

Today, let’s talk about the planting and watering. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about weed.

Planting and watering the garden of your soul is a cyclical process. If you do it right, you are constantly planting it and watering, planting and watering until, one day, you are able to look back and see a flourishing tapestry of life. Here are three ways you can become the kind of person who plants good, spiritual seeds and sustains them with life-giving water:

By reading the Bible: Download the Youversion App and follow one of their reading plans. Or, if you’d read from a traditional Bible, start with the book of John and keep going. Read a Chapter at a time and write down your answers to two questions: What did I learn about God? How can I apply it to my life?
Serve: Whether you’re a Christian or not, you know that helping someone makes you feel good. God has created us with the innate desire to be kind to other people. So, after you get a handle on reading your Bible regularly, water your garden by serving in your local church or a non-profit in your community.

You should develop character – Put yourself in situations that make you uncomfortable and stretch you into a better person. Maybe you don’t typically talk to someone who looks different than you. If so, take some time to grab coffee with someone from other background. Or, maybe you need to go on a mission trip with your church. Whatever it is, put yourself in situations that force you to become more like Jesus.

Start by taking baby steps. You decide what step you can take to begin planting good seeds and watering them with healthy, spiritual food.

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”(2 Peter 3:18)

Author: Pastor Andrew

If you’ve seen me order my coffee with about fifteen additional ingredients, you know that I tend to make everything more complicated than it needs to be. Honestly, it’s what I do in most areas of my life. Instead of simplifying, I complicate them and make relatively small tasks ridiculously complex.

Fortunately, God has made it clear and simple to follow Him.

When religious people asked Jesus what are the two most important commandments were, he replied saying, “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself”. Basically, Jesus asks us to love God and love people.

Unfortunately, people like me complicate matters. We fill our calendars, lose focus, and make excuses for why we don’t have the time to love other people. If you can relate, I want to challenge you today to stop making excuses and begin to intentionally love the people in your life.

Here’s how I started taking Jesus’ simple instructions seriously. I began spending five to ten minutes, at night before bed, thinking of one friend or family member. I would first pray for that person and then ask God to reveal ways that I could be a blessing to him or her. Then, I would take out my to-do list and write down a practical, tangible way I could show love to that person.

When is the last time you thought intentionally about one person in your life? If you’re honest, when’s the last time you stopped to think about anyone other than yourself?

The truth is that if it’s God’s priority, it should be our priority. So, I challenge you to love other people the same way you prioritize your job, grocery trips, or time with your friends.

Remember! Don’t over-complicate it!

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12)

Author: Pastor Andrew

If you’ve been around people of faith for any amount of time, you have probably heard them say, “When one door closes, God opens a window.” Or, you’ve heard them say how thankful they were to God for opening a door into a new job, relationship, or passion project.

I love those conversations because they encourage me to continue seeking God’s direction for my life. But, if I’m honest, I think we can miss a big part of how God works in the world.

Don’t get me wrong. I definitely believe that God opens doors. But, I’m equally as confident that He shuts them.

Not nearly as romantic as talking about how God opens doors, huh?

Even though it’s not as fun to talk about, it’s important for you and I to remember that a shut door can be God’s way of protecting us, guiding us, and leading us toward His calling on our lives.

It could be that you hoped for God to open a door to a promotion at work, or to a relationship with a person who could be your future spouse, and instead, that door has been closed. Whatever it is that God has shut the door on, you need to hear this today: Do not force something that doesn’t fit.

God shuts doors because He has your best interest in mind. There is no need to try and knock it down or call in the battering rams. Instead, I have two, simple, practical steps you can take to lean into God when it feels like He’s closing a door.

1.Be patient: If you think that God has closed a door, give it at least three days before changing course. Spend time over these few days praying and asking God for clarity.
2.Release control: The gist of this whole conversation is a battle with God for control. Our desire to tear through a door that God has already shut is an example of our need for control. Spend time, as hard as it is, thanking God for opening and closing doors in your life.

Today, be thankful that God doesn’t just open every door. He shuts them for the same reason He opens them: for our benefit. Be patient. Release control.

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)

Author: Pastor Andrew

I don’t know about you, but I feel like there are new scientific discoveries every single day. Every time I open my web browser, I see an article about a new medication for curing cancer or about a scientist who unlocked a genetic mystery. The world’s smartest people are daily discovering new truths about the earth on which we live.

It can seem like everything is changing, can’t it? If scientists and physicists are uncovering realities about our world, it can start to feel like everything we know to be true will one day be proven false. After all, humans for centuries believed the world was flat and that the universe revolved around the earth. Who’s to say we’re not in the same boat as them?!

Change leads to uncertainty. Uncertainty leads to doubt.

I know because I’ve been there before.

If you find yourself feeling like you can’t get a firm footing because of fast-moving changes, let me assure you of one thing: All truth is God’s truth.

That means when scientists discover something new, they just understand God’s creation on a deeper level. They aren’t inventing or creating, just discovering God’s truth. It means that when government leaders claim to have the newest and brightest ideas for saving the planet, they are just uncovering solutions that God has already thought of.

If you and I can understand this small and profound idea, we can rest in the stability and firm foundation of God. In a seemingly ever-changing world, He never changes. In a culture whose beliefs shift like sand, we can turn to God’s Word and be confident that He is who He says He is, He did what the Bible says He did, and He’s with us like the Bible says He is.

Nothing is new for God. Stand firm in His Word today.

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

Be encouraged today because God is with you.