Mind
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:5-6
Where does your mind go during the day? Is it a mind seeking after God's best for you, or is it a wandering mind looking for answers to your most burning questions. I always think of how we can have the best mindset going into the day, but I don't always do that. The easiest way to have the right mind is to begin with prayer. This puts us in a mindset that God is in control of our day, and we need to focus on what He has for our lives. However, we all have agency and we can choose to focus our mind on other things, which in the end could lead to our mind being distracted with what the world and enemy want us to focus on. Our minds are fragile in many ways because we know what direction our mind needs to go, but the enemy is always making it really easy to get distracted and pull away from God and His teachings. Did you see that? I basically said the same thing in two different sentences. What did you focus on, our agency or the fragility of our mind, or did you think about the enemy or the world? As you can see, having the right mindset is hard, but if you start the day, spend time in the day and end the day speaking to our Father in Heaven, then it will be more simple to have the right mindset.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, October 30, 2026
Friday, October 23, 2026
Fantastic Friday #1068 - Laughter
Laughter
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:2-3
My daughter and son-in-law were in an accident this week. Now you are probably wondering what this has to do with laughter. First, she and her husband were protected by the Lord and were uninjured, but the car not so much. The rear end was so smashed in, they couldn't open the trunk and herein lies the connection to laughter. They took a video of trying to open the trunk to get their suitcases out and all we heard was laughter. My daughter said something very important. We have to laugh at it so we don't cry. Isn't that really the lament we all deal with daily. When something bad happens, we can get so angry because of how we are impacted and the enemy wants us to be mad. If we switch the perspective, find the positive in the situation and look to a lesson that God wants to teach us, then maybe we can laugh about what happened. We all need those people in our life that remind us to laugh about things and help bring joy into our life. There is so much anger in the world, the laughter can fight back. So, laugh a little, it lightens the soul.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:2-3
My daughter and son-in-law were in an accident this week. Now you are probably wondering what this has to do with laughter. First, she and her husband were protected by the Lord and were uninjured, but the car not so much. The rear end was so smashed in, they couldn't open the trunk and herein lies the connection to laughter. They took a video of trying to open the trunk to get their suitcases out and all we heard was laughter. My daughter said something very important. We have to laugh at it so we don't cry. Isn't that really the lament we all deal with daily. When something bad happens, we can get so angry because of how we are impacted and the enemy wants us to be mad. If we switch the perspective, find the positive in the situation and look to a lesson that God wants to teach us, then maybe we can laugh about what happened. We all need those people in our life that remind us to laugh about things and help bring joy into our life. There is so much anger in the world, the laughter can fight back. So, laugh a little, it lightens the soul.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, October 16, 2026
Fantastic Friday #1067 - Compare
Compare
5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, Lord;
listen to my cry for mercy.
7 When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours. Psalm 86:5-8
While some people can have success in this world, others may suffer and have difficulty, and others may be just getting through. How come we try to compare our issues we have in our own life with other people's lives? Why do we compare so much, is it because we think we want something that those other people have, whether it be physically or materially? What if we tried to compare ourselves to others who follow the Lord and live a life of purpose. While comparisons can be a dangerous road, looking at an example of how to live can be beneficial if it is truly someone living for our God. Remember when you get down in your life, you can always call on your Father in Heaven to provide you what you need. I love this scripture explaining that He is forgiving, good and abounding in love. How many of us want this in our life and lose faith when we try to compare with others in why we don't have it. Funny thing about comparison, you can't compare our God with anyone or anything, and you can't compare his offer of salvation with anything else, because there is nothing else greater. Be careful when you travel down the path of comparison, but call on God when the enemy tries to get you to compare to others. God will intervene and answer you because He loves you.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, Lord;
listen to my cry for mercy.
7 When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours. Psalm 86:5-8
While some people can have success in this world, others may suffer and have difficulty, and others may be just getting through. How come we try to compare our issues we have in our own life with other people's lives? Why do we compare so much, is it because we think we want something that those other people have, whether it be physically or materially? What if we tried to compare ourselves to others who follow the Lord and live a life of purpose. While comparisons can be a dangerous road, looking at an example of how to live can be beneficial if it is truly someone living for our God. Remember when you get down in your life, you can always call on your Father in Heaven to provide you what you need. I love this scripture explaining that He is forgiving, good and abounding in love. How many of us want this in our life and lose faith when we try to compare with others in why we don't have it. Funny thing about comparison, you can't compare our God with anyone or anything, and you can't compare his offer of salvation with anything else, because there is nothing else greater. Be careful when you travel down the path of comparison, but call on God when the enemy tries to get you to compare to others. God will intervene and answer you because He loves you.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, October 9, 2026
Fantastic Friday #1066 - Unchanging
Unchanging
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14
When we go through life, we come across many changes that we have to navigate and depending on that change, there could be a multitude of negative emotions. There could be hate, fear, frustration and a general feeling of inadequacy when those times present themselves. God doesn't want us to have these feelings, He wants us to rely on Him for getting us through those times. While we have to be careful about taking scripture out of context, there is one thing that is clear, we need to look forward to our Father in Heaven who is unchanging. He is always there in our times of need and our goals are not here on earth with our work or life, but they are a part of our biggest goal is to pursue a life that is honoring God in our preparation for Heaven. If our path is only filled with doubt, fear and frustration, it is easy to lose sight of what our Father has done for us. Keep looking for our unchanging Father to help make changes in you. Live your life full of love, happiness and adequacy. Our Father loves us, and that love can drive out any demons or fear we may have. Press forward, don't look back.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14
When we go through life, we come across many changes that we have to navigate and depending on that change, there could be a multitude of negative emotions. There could be hate, fear, frustration and a general feeling of inadequacy when those times present themselves. God doesn't want us to have these feelings, He wants us to rely on Him for getting us through those times. While we have to be careful about taking scripture out of context, there is one thing that is clear, we need to look forward to our Father in Heaven who is unchanging. He is always there in our times of need and our goals are not here on earth with our work or life, but they are a part of our biggest goal is to pursue a life that is honoring God in our preparation for Heaven. If our path is only filled with doubt, fear and frustration, it is easy to lose sight of what our Father has done for us. Keep looking for our unchanging Father to help make changes in you. Live your life full of love, happiness and adequacy. Our Father loves us, and that love can drive out any demons or fear we may have. Press forward, don't look back.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, October 2, 2026
Fantastic Friday #1065 - Accept
Accept
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing the praises of your name.” Romans 15:7-9
If you are like me, sometimes you have a problem with accepting others. Maybe it is something in the way they carry themselves, how they act towards others, the lifestyle they are leading or how they act towards you. The interesting thing about God's Word is that He doesn't say Accept one another, except the ones that don't match up..., He says Accept one another...just as Christ accepted you. We all have different personalities, the way we look, act and dress, and we certainly all have our faults. God doesn't say I don't accept you because I don't like the way you dress or act, He accepts all who turn to Him. We should seriously reflect on this passage that outlines who we should accept and why. This is not always easy, I am the first to admit I still struggle with this daily. If I truly want to get close to what God has for my life, I should probably be following His commands. I should begin to look for ways to accept others and look at His example of how He accepts everyone who comes to Him.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing the praises of your name.” Romans 15:7-9
If you are like me, sometimes you have a problem with accepting others. Maybe it is something in the way they carry themselves, how they act towards others, the lifestyle they are leading or how they act towards you. The interesting thing about God's Word is that He doesn't say Accept one another, except the ones that don't match up..., He says Accept one another...just as Christ accepted you. We all have different personalities, the way we look, act and dress, and we certainly all have our faults. God doesn't say I don't accept you because I don't like the way you dress or act, He accepts all who turn to Him. We should seriously reflect on this passage that outlines who we should accept and why. This is not always easy, I am the first to admit I still struggle with this daily. If I truly want to get close to what God has for my life, I should probably be following His commands. I should begin to look for ways to accept others and look at His example of how He accepts everyone who comes to Him.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, September 25, 2026
Fantastic Friday #1064 - Stand Firm
Stand Firm
10 The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations. Psalm 33:10-11
Do you find that it is hard to stand firm in your beliefs and positions in life? There was recently a court case that an individual stood firm in their decision based on their personal beliefs, and it had a significant impact on the court case. Even with pressure from 11 other individuals, this person would not change their viewpoint based on what they had heard and how they placed their beliefs. How many of us stand firm in our belief of God's plan for our lives, or His teachings and purpose through His plan? I know that the enemy can fight against our beliefs and make us think we don't need to lean in to our beliefs and think that God's plan is not all it is cracked up to be. However, this scripture is very clear that His plan stands firm, forever. It doesn't say, His plan is a wavering plan and changes with the wind, and it certainly doesn't say His plan changes based on our decisions. His plan is firm, so we should stand firm in our beliefs and know that God's plan for us is unchanging and for the good of all. Take a stand in your life knowing that God is for us and not against us. Stand Firm.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
10 The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations. Psalm 33:10-11
Do you find that it is hard to stand firm in your beliefs and positions in life? There was recently a court case that an individual stood firm in their decision based on their personal beliefs, and it had a significant impact on the court case. Even with pressure from 11 other individuals, this person would not change their viewpoint based on what they had heard and how they placed their beliefs. How many of us stand firm in our belief of God's plan for our lives, or His teachings and purpose through His plan? I know that the enemy can fight against our beliefs and make us think we don't need to lean in to our beliefs and think that God's plan is not all it is cracked up to be. However, this scripture is very clear that His plan stands firm, forever. It doesn't say, His plan is a wavering plan and changes with the wind, and it certainly doesn't say His plan changes based on our decisions. His plan is firm, so we should stand firm in our beliefs and know that God's plan for us is unchanging and for the good of all. Take a stand in your life knowing that God is for us and not against us. Stand Firm.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, September 18, 2026
Fantastic Friday #1063 - Peace
Peace
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:17-21
The nastiness that pervades our society is something that we are more aware of because of how we obtain our information and how we communicate. People are braver behind a computer screen or phone than they are face-to-face. Maybe that is because when you look at someone in the face, you see the God-created individual who is a person created in the image of God. I am not saying that evil and nastiness has not always been around, I am just saying it is easier to hide behind a screen when you don't see the end result of your nasty behavior. God was pretty specific in His Word about being at peace with everyone. Not just your friend or family member, but with everyone. It is not up to us to punish or chastise others for their behavior, it is up to us to love everyone and be at peace. Our world can be a dark place with the world telling us it is ok to be mean and nasty, but in the end that will lead to evil, which is just what the enemy wants. Let us focus on overcoming that evil with good and being kind and at peace. Before you say something mean and nasty, think about what kind of impact that will have on the person on the other end of that screen, then picture their face that was created in the image of God.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:17-21
The nastiness that pervades our society is something that we are more aware of because of how we obtain our information and how we communicate. People are braver behind a computer screen or phone than they are face-to-face. Maybe that is because when you look at someone in the face, you see the God-created individual who is a person created in the image of God. I am not saying that evil and nastiness has not always been around, I am just saying it is easier to hide behind a screen when you don't see the end result of your nasty behavior. God was pretty specific in His Word about being at peace with everyone. Not just your friend or family member, but with everyone. It is not up to us to punish or chastise others for their behavior, it is up to us to love everyone and be at peace. Our world can be a dark place with the world telling us it is ok to be mean and nasty, but in the end that will lead to evil, which is just what the enemy wants. Let us focus on overcoming that evil with good and being kind and at peace. Before you say something mean and nasty, think about what kind of impact that will have on the person on the other end of that screen, then picture their face that was created in the image of God.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
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