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Author: Pastor Andrew

There are some people that are just hard to love. Think about the manager who never thanks you for your hard work or the family member who makes every holiday get-together about them. Jesus said it’s easy to love people who love you in return and to be kind to people who treat you fairly. It’s a different story, though, when you have to love people who don’t return the favor.

Recently, God taught me the importance and power of love to break down walls and build His kingdom on earth when I spent a day with a family that’s hard to love. From the start, they didn’t really want to be around me. It was Obvious with their short remarks and cold shoulders. “I have to do an entire day of this?!” I thought. But, I decided in that moment to love them and not to correct them. I let them be who they were going to be.

The most amazing thing happened. They started to open up and invite me into their lives. By the end of the day, they asked me to stay longer and wanted me to come back for another visit.

That event taught me that unconditional love, the same kind Jesus showed on the cross, has the power to break through cultural or personal differences. And it taught me three truths about love I want to share with you today:

Love is patient. The Bible knows what it’s talking about! The firmest people to love are the ones who need it the most.
Love is a seed to be scattered. Even though we don’t know how it’s going to go, God wants us to love the people in our lives and let Him do the rest.
Love is long-suffering. It will take time to see the impact of our love for others. So, anything of value takes time.

As you go about your life today, think about the people who are hard to love. What is God telling you to do for them? Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. God’s unconditional love has the power to transform anybody.

Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love. (1 John 4:8)

Author: Pastor Andrew

Yesterday, we compared our relationship with God to a garden. It’s a perfect metaphor because our soul needs to be cared for and cultivated by planting good seeds and watering them with life-giving water.

Today, let’s talk about weeding.

We all hate to pull weeds. If we’re honest with ourselves, we don’t like them because they create too much work. Bending over hurts our backs, the sun makes us sweat, and the fact that they just grow back makes us feel like we’re wasting time.

The truth is that a lot of Christians feel the same way about pulling spiritual weeds. It’s much easier to pretend they don’t exist, to think that they don’t have to put in a lot of effort to grow the way God wants them to grow. Before they know it, the enemy has grown roots in the garden of their soul so deep that it’s hard to know which plants are healthy or sick.

The enemy creeps in by telling you two lies:

God is not enough.

You’re not good enough.

His ultimate goal is to convince us that those two things are true. But, it’s ultimately our job, as people who are cultivating our relationship with God, to guard our heart so strongly that the enemy can’t get inside. How do we do that? You can start with two simple steps:

Get rid of distractions – What makes you lose focus? What causes you to prioritize the wrong things? Is it your relationships? Netflix? Work? Whatever it is, you need to pull the weeds because they will give the devil an inch. And, you know he’ll take a mile.

Get rid of idols – An idol is something that keeps God’s love from getting to your heart. What in your life take the place of God? What do you devote your time, energy, and money toward that isn’t your heavenly father? Get rid of it as soon as possible.

It’s tough work to guard your heart. It’s the part of following Jesus that nobody wants to do. But, it’s the most necessary.

Today, what step can you take to start pulling the spiritual weeds out of your life?

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

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)