Words of encouragement from Pastor Jeff Perry.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1
LIVE DEEP. Have you ever noticed how your thought life can get bombarded with negativity? That’s why God invites us to study, ponder, and meditate on His Word. I love to marinate foods, and the longer the meat is marinated, the more flavorful and tender it becomes. You and I are invited to soak in God’s presence and in His Word and let the truth go deep into our hearts.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet
waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3
REST. Rest is not a luxury; it’s a requirement. When we approach life from a position of rest, we will make better decisions and won’t be as susceptible to sin. That’s why we must take time to quiet ourselves before the Lord, to let His peace come in and replace the commotion.
Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23
1. FROM BITTERNESS TO FORGIVENESS. Protect and guard your heart from the poison of resentment and fear. They are vision suppressors and growth inhibitors. Keep forgiving. Your heart needs to stay fresh and clear because there is plenty more God has planned for you to accomplish.
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38
GET FILLED. When we get dehydrated, we drink water. When our gas tank is empty, we fill it up. When we become spiritually drained, we can tap into God’s living water to drink and be refreshed. God wants to restore to you the joy of your salvation. Connect with God. Read God’s Word. Pray in the Name of Jesus (John 14:14) – and you will be revitalized.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
WALK IN LOVE. The apostle Paul called the love walk a “more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31). Love covers a multitude of sins and causes us to face the future with a fresh start. We don’t have to rely on our human power to love. The love of God is poured out in our hearts and the Holy Spirit enables us to walk it out (Romans 5:5).
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit. John 7:37-39a
1. GET IN THE FLOW. God’s flow is life-giving; it’s deep and beautiful. When Jesus offered the Samaritan woman living water (John 4:10), He looked past ethnic, gender, and religious divisions. He knew her condition and offered her eternal life. He knew her sin and was there to forgive her. The Holy Spirit never changes and the New Testament truths are for us today. Jesus is calling out to all of us, inviting us to partake in His flow.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10
1. RESTORED RELATIONSHIP. What Adam forfeited in the Garden of Eden, Jesus recovered to such an extent that we can hardly fathom it. We have restored fellowship with the Creator of the universe. But God didn’t stop there; He went on to offer us “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).
He [Jesus] said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. Mark 4:35, 37-39
1. GO TO THE OTHER SIDE. God’s love will produce tremendous security even in the middle of a storm. He wants to set you free from fear so that you can both command the storm to be calm and trust Him enough to even be at peace in the midst of it. When Jesus is in the center of your situation, you will get to the other side!
As night fell, the boat was in the middle of the lake and Jesus was alone on land. The wind was against the disciples and He could see that they were straining at the oars, trying to make headway. When it was almost morning, Jesus came to them . . . He said to them at once, “Don’t yield to fear. Have courage. It’s really me—I Am!” Mark 6:47-50 TPT
1. RECHARGE your spirit. Jesus’ words are spirit and life (John 6:63). We know that when life gets dry, the living waters of God can turn things around. Jesus often went away to pray and get with God. Take time to wait upon the Lord. Spend time with Him and watch yourself gain new strength!
Remember this, and be assured . . . Remember the former things long past . . . I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning . . . saying “My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.” Isaiah 46:8-10
BE ASSURED BY GOD’S WORD.
With all the variables in the world demanding our attention and time, we must choose what to focus on. Assurance is a settled trust in God’s faithfulness and a byproduct of biblical remembrance. When things are bewildering, we go to what is clarifying. Instead of obsessing about things we can’t figure out, we can go back to the Bible’s amazing ancient truths to build our faith.
Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8
LOVE IS VALUE. The best definition I’ve found for love is “value.” In modern society we see a huge devaluation of
human life (Matthew 24:12). But if we just obey the Bible and value others in a meaningful, non-patronizing way, our lives will be a radical witness to the rest of the world.
Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. Luke 6:47-48
1. GOD’S WORD IS A SURE FOUNDATION.
Building your life on the promises of God will get you through whatever you face. You can hold to it, live by it—it’s a lamp to your feet and a light to your path (Psalm 119:105).
Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3
1. GET BACK TO YOUR FIRST LOVE. Every day God offers us a fresh start; a new opportunity to push the reset button and turn our eyes to Him. He knows what to do when nobody else does.
Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season. 2 Timothy 4:2a
1. PREPARE. God uses people who get ready. Preparation is a statement to your future that you are available. It’s
a statement that you trust God with your future. We are called to be poised – not wound up or nervous, but ready. And preparation will set you up to be at peace and available for opportunity.
For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. 2 Chronicles 16:9a
STAY CLOSE TO JESUS. God sent Jesus to restore that close connection between God and humanity. When we humble ourselves and commit to following Jesus, He sets us free, gives us a new nature, and shows us His purpose for our lives!
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16
Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:26
What we set our mind on matters. The prophet Isaiah told the people of Israel to lift up their eyes. Their spiritual imaginations had become starved because they had been looking at the faces of idols. They needed to remember their Creator.
The people who know their God will display strength and take action. Daniel 11:32b
1. START YOUR DAY PRAYING (Psalm 73:28).
Develop a life where you talk to God about everything.
For a wide door for effective service has opened to me [Paul], and there are many adversaries. 1 Corinthians 16:9
1. WALK THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR. Opportunities are often disguised by obstacles. With every promise there will be inherent challenges and problems. Paul knew he was going to have challenges, but he kept forging ahead anyway. Instead of shrinking back or hesitating, we must seek God about what opportunity He has for us in the midst of difficulty.
In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Mark 1:35
1. GET FOCUSED ON THE MISSION. The devil uses distraction to hinder our walk with God and to diminish our effectiveness in helping people. Real life can be hard, and our responsibilities often aren’t as appealing as hopping from one mind-numbing inconsequential thing to another. But when we remember we’re on a mission as “ambassadors for Christ,” we can look to Jesus to help us focus in on what really matters (2 Corinthians 5:20).
My mouth is filled with Your praise and with Your glory all day long. Psalm 71:8
1. FOCUS ON GOD. It’s easy to get busy or preoccupied and try to numb ourselves with entertainment. But God has called us to push past distractions and focus on Him. When we come before God in praise and worship, we’re reinforcing who He is, what He is capable of doing, and His faithfulness throughout the ages.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2a
1. FOCUS ON TODAY. When Jesus went to visit the house of two sisters Mary and Martha, Mary focused on Jesus, but Martha was bothered and distracted by the preparations for Jesus. We’ve all been guilty of this. But when we remember that we have only so many days on earth we can concentrate n on making the most of our time here. The highest and best thing we can do today – above all priorities – is focus on Jesus. Start your day in the Word and write down some goals that God gives you. He will keep you in perfect peace as you keep your mind fixed on Him (Isaiah 26:3).
“Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?” Deuteronomy 10:12-13
1. MAKE GOD YOUR FOCUS. Focus means to have purposeful commitment to the goals that are primary; that God has set before us. God is calling us to focus, to center our interest on Him. The Psalmist said: “I have set the Lord continually before me” (Psalm 16:8a). We can follow the model of the Early Church who freely and purposely yielded to and leaned toward God (Acts 2).
“By this all men will know that you are My [Jesus’] disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35
1. LOVE ENRICHES LIFE. The greatest thing we can do in our life expression is to walk in love. A man in the Bible asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was and He replied, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Mark 12:30-31a). When life is dominated by love inspired by Jesus, it will grow and develop and make all of life’s relations sweeter.
Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell Him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:6-7 TPT
1. FROM ISOLATION TO CONNECTION. You are not alone. Even on the days you’ve felt most lonely – God is with you. If you’ve felt the tendency to pull away and isolate yourself, follow the pattern of the Early Church. They continually came together to hear the Word, connect and fellowship together, have meal time, and pray (Acts 2:42).
In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Simon and his companions searched for Him; they found Him, and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.” Mark 1:35-38
BE FRUITFUL NOT BUSY. Jesus only did what He saw His Father do. How did He know what God did? Jesus spent time with Him. Sometimes you can get distracted by too many opportunities and give your attention to the loudest or most urgent thing. But because Jesus took time to seek God, He received direction to know what He was supposed to do instead of what others thought He should do.
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Email: info@slfc.org
Phone: 636 · 532 · 3446
St. Louis Family Church
17458 Chesterfield Airport Road
Chesterfield, MO 63005
