Pastor Josh has moved to a new website:


The daily devotionals will continue, but the site will also have posts of a more reflective nature.

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Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Micah 5: 6-15; Deliverance and Destruction

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is quite a bit of Biblical language to suggest there will be punishment for those who do not follow the will of God, who do not serve Him faithfully. I am not going to preach death and destruction, but I think a reminder of God's expectations is helpful. As Christians we are called to faithfully obey God. No matter what God calls us to do we are supposed to heed His call. If we do not we may find oursevles in a little bit of trouble. Yes, we are saved. Yes, God's love for us knows no bounds. However, God also expects us to follow Him; to do everything He has called us to do. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Monday, March 30, 2009

Micah 5: 1-5; A Promised Ruler from Bethlehem

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

God works in unexpected ways. We see this in God bringing Jesus out of Bethlehem, a very small town of virtually no account. People were expecting Jesus to come from a powerful place like Jerusalem or Jericho. Unexpectedly, though, God sends Jesus through Bethlehem. It was also unexpected for Jesus to go to the cross. That was not part of anyone's plans, but God saw fir to make that happen to give us life. Our eyes and ears need to be open to the many ways God can, and will, work to bring about his plans in the world. After all, his plans just might include us. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Sunday, March 29, 2009

Micah 4: 6-13; The Lord's Plan

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Once again we find ourselves with this hope in God. In this sense we see that God is in control, that God has a plan, which should give us comfort above all other things. No matter how bad things get, we can trust that we, that the world, are in the hands of God. God has a plan for us and for the world, and he is continually bringing about that plan in the world. We may not know all of the details of God's plans, but we can trust and know that it is a good plan. We do not have to worry about the end times, for we know that God has all of that worked out already. All we need to do is trust in God and hope in his plan. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Saturday, March 28, 2009

Micah 4: 1-5; The Mountain of the Lord

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

If this does not give us hope for God's supremecy and plans for the future I do not know what will. In the present time we have to deal with evil and the bad things that sometimes happen. This is not always an easy thing. We are left with questions about what is going on and what is going to happen next. The Scriptures tell us, though, that in the end days God is going to build his mountain, that he will make all things good. Now we can rest easy knowing that, in the end, all things will work for good. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Friday, March 27, 2009

Sunday Scripture and Sermon for March 29, 2009

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday is from John 12: 20-36 in which Jesus predicts his death. The sermon is titled 'Going Against the Flow,' and will focus on the ways in which Jesus went against the flow of what society expected of him. I hope to see you Sunday. God bless you..

Pastor Josh
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Micah 3: 1-12; Leaders and Prophets Rebuked

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

To put it simply, not doing the will of God will cause trouble. I hesitate to say how much trouble, or what kind of trouble, but it is clear from this passage, as well as other passages in the Bible, that disobeying God's will brings trouble. The solution to this is love. The more we love God the more we will obey his will. We need not live out of fear, waiting for God to punish us. Rather, we should live in love, lovingly doing all God has called us to do as Christians. Our love for God should be our reason for following God's will. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Thursday, March 26, 2009

Micah 2: 12-13; Deliverance Promised

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is always hope for the future. No matter how bad things get in our lives, we have the hope from God that he will come and deliver us all from our suffering. This is always hard to remember because when we hit rough patches in our lives it is hard for us to find any hope. We all need to remember this promise from Scripture and let it be our hope: the Lord will gather his faithful children to a place of joy and peace. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Micah 2: 6-11; False Prophets

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Speaking the truth is not always easy. God gives us all words to share with the world, words that the world sometimes does not like. Like Micah we sometimes find ourselves faced with opposition from people who do not want to hear what we have to say. In those times I am reminded of the words of Paul found in the letter to the Ephesians: "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel." May we all speak without fear the words God has given to us all. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Micah 2: 1-5; Man's Plans and God's

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our plans are not God's plans. God says here he will thwart the the plans of iniquity that people sometimes come up with. One of the hardest things to realize is that we are ultimately in God's hands. This is good news for us, though. Who better to take care of us than the one who made the heavens and the earth? Following God is not always easy because sometimes he takes us places we don't necessarily want to go. We need to trust God; trust that he is going to take care of us. We need to trust that God is going to lead us down the right path. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Monday, March 23, 2009

Micah 1: 8-16; Weeping and Mourning

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Life without God would be unimaginable. In these verses I think we get a small glimpse of what life without God would be like. I do not think it would be a very good life. Our lives are blessed because God is with us, because of the many wonderful things God has done for us. As simple as it sounds, that is the real blessing of living a life of faith: that we have God with us all the time, no matter where we go. Our call, in response to this, is to pray for those who do not have God in their life, to share with them the good news that they may know and feel the joy we have in our hearts. We are blessed with God's presence, and we need to make sure others have that blessing as well. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Sunday, March 22, 2009

Micah 1: 1-7; Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

I think this passage is important for us because we need to remember that God does not like sin. Yes, we have been forgiven of all of our sins, even the sins we have not yet committed. But that does not mean we are free to live a sinful life. It does not mean that God is pleased with us when we sin. We do not need to fear punishment from God because of our sin. However, we do need to remember that even though we are forgiven for our sins we are still called to a life of holiness. We have been forgiven, but God still does not like for us to sin and go against his will. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Saturday, March 21, 2009

Romans 16: 1-27; Personal Greetings

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned." People are different, and people have different ideas for what church should be. But we are all members of the one body. We ought not to fight amongst ourselves and cause division within the church. Rather, we shouls sing out with one voice praise and thanksgiving to God for all he has done for us. No matter how different we are or what our different ideas might be we need to remember that we are all memebers of Christ's body and are called to be one body. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Friday, March 20, 2009

Romans 15: 23-33; Paul's Plan to Visit Rome

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rome, for Paul and other Christians, was the proverbial Lion's Den. During this time in history the Christians were not very well liked. Rome was a dangerous place for a Christian to be. And yet, Paul goes there. He goes to the place where he knows something bad could happen to him. He goes there because that is where God has called him to go. He goes there because he knows God is going to be with him and give him strength. Yes, it was a difficult and dangerous journey. But that is what God was calling Paul to do. We need to follow Paul's example to follow God wherever he leads, knowing God will be with us to give us strength. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Thursday, March 19, 2009

Sunday Scripture and Sermon for March 22, 2009

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday is from John 3: 14-21, in which we are told of the love of God and we are told that we need to show our love for God. The sermon is titled 'Moving On' and will focus on our need to move on from looking for big signs from God to believing in God for what he has already done for us. I hope to see you all on Sunday. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Romans 15: 14-22; Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus came here for everyone. In the Old Testament, and even in the beginning of Jesus' ministry, the Gentiles were left out in the cold. They were looked at as outsiders, as ones who were not loved by God. Jesus, throughout his ministry, began to change that attitude. Jesus came, in part, to make sure the entire world has salvation, not just a select few. To that end, Jesus called Paul to be the minister to the Gentiles, to make sure they all heard the good news of salvation. Let us remember from Paul and Jesus that everyone has a place with Jesus. Jesus' salvation is for everyone who accepts it. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Romans 15: 1-13; Acceptance

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Not only are we to bear with one another, we are also to accept one another. Jesus takes us we are. He loves as we are, not as we should bo. We ought to do the same with one another. Some of us look different, some come from different places, some believe a little differently. We have different backgrounds, different languages, different styles of living. But we are all members of the body of Christ. The world is loves by God, and the world should be loved by us as well. We are all memebers of the same body. Let us therefore fully accept one another in love, recognizing each other as precious children of God. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Romans 14: 1-23; The Weak and the Strong

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." We go through the journey of faith together. As such, we are supposed to help each other along the way. We are to bear with one another the burdens we carry; we are to share with each other the things we learn. This is not an individual journey, one in which we are left to our own devices, and in which we ignore our brothers and sisters. This is a journey that revolves around community; helping each other as we go through our journey of faith. Do not forget your brothers and sisters along the way, as they will not forget you. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Monday, March 16, 2009

Romans 13: 8-14; Love, for the Day is Near

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

When asked what is the greatest of all commandments Jesus responds by saying: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And the second is like it; you shall love your neighbor as yourself." If we show love to our neighbors we are living the way Jesus wants us to live. According to Paul, and Jesus, that is where our focus should be, showing love to our brothers and sisters in Christ. We sometimes find ourselves wondering what we need to do to please God. We have our answer. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. In so doing we please and honor God. Loving our neighbors is not always easy, but it is necessary if we are to call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Sunday, March 15, 2009

Romans 13: 1-7; Submission to Authorities

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Being a leader is a very hard thing. Our leaders are forced each and every day to make decisions that have a very big impact on a lot of people. We need to pray for them every day. We need to pray that they will be filled with the Holy Spirit, that in their decision making process they would follow the path God has laid out for all of us. We can apply this to our own lives as well. As we make decisions, we need to make sure we are following God's will. But remember to pray for our leaders. They carry a huge weight and need the strength of God to bear it. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Saturday, March 14, 2009

Romans 12: 9-21; Love

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." One of the hardest things to do as Christians is to love when we are being hated by those around us. As hard as it is, though, it is what we need to be doing. For one thing, we are called to show love to everyone. No matter how we are treated we are supposed to love everyone around us. But there is also a chance that our love just might lead someone to Christ. When we show the love we are commanded to show we are witnessing to people the loves of Christ. In so doing they may choose to give their lives to Christ. We love not just because we are supposed to. We love because that is one of the ways we may lead people to Christ. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Friday, March 13, 2009

Romans 12: 1-8; Living Sacrifices

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

God has given all of us gifts to use for his work. He has called some to preach, some to teach, and some to do other things. We have all been called into a life of faith in Jesus. Likewise, we have all been called into a life of service for Jesus. Since we have been called into service we need to discern what our gifts for ministry are. We need to make sure we know what God wants us to do that we may be faithful to the call he has placed on all of our lives. What gift for ministry has God given to you? God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Thursday, March 12, 2009

Sunday Scripture and Sermon for March 15, 2009

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday is from John 2: 13-22, in which Jesus clears out the Temple of the money changers and those selling animals for sacrifice. The sermon is titled 'Cleaning House' and will focus on the new things Jesus brings to the faith which are highlighted by is clearing of the Temple. I hope to see you Sunday. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Romans 11: 33-36; Doxology

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

From time to time I think we need to be reminded that God is wise. So often we begin to think we can figure things out for himself. We sometimes find ourselves saying 'God doesn't know what he's doing,' or 'God is taking too long.' We need to remember that God is wise, and he has our best interest at heart. We cannot figure things out by ourselves, we need God to guide us and direct us. In those times when we feel like we could do it better we need to remember the words from Paul: "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Romans 11: 25-32; All Israel Will Be Saved

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." God does not take back what he gives. I find comfort in that because we, as humans, still face the problem of sin. We still do not always live up to the standard God has for us in our lives. However, there is good news that God is not going to revoke our salvation. Even though we still may sin we can rest easy in Christ's loving arms knowing our salvation is secure. So long as we continue to believe in our hearts that Jesus is the Christ, nothing we do will ever call into question our salvation. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Romans 11: 11-24; Ingrafted Branches

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God" The major theme that runs through this passage is the idea that God is active and involved in the lives of his children. That is good news for us. God does not just watch us like a television program. God is active in our lives. At times he blesses us, and at other times he corrects us. In any case God, our heavenly Father, is involved in our lives on a daily basis. That is some of the good news Paul is trying to share: that we do not follow a God who ignores us. We follow a God who loves us enough to be involved in our lives. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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