Today’s Community Scripture – 10/14/2024

Today’s Community Scripture – 10/14/2024

by | Oct 14, 2024 | Community Conversations, Prayers

– Scripture:

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody. Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”

                             Romans 12:11–19 MSG

– Reflection:

               Don’t Burn Out

Remember this: When you’re going through tough times, it’s important to be patient and stay positive. It’s easy to get discouraged and think that things will never work out, but God already has a plan in place. Stay patient, stay prayerful, and remember that the trouble you’re facing is only temporary. God will bring you through it and make everything beautiful in its time.

Where do we go from here?

“Give God the time to work it out. Just because you don’t see anything happening doesn’t mean God is not working. Behind the scenes right now, He’s lining up everything that you need. His plans are bigger, better, and more rewarding than ever imagined.”

Our Prayer for Today

“Father, thank you for your plans for our lives and how you always work them out. Thank you that we can trust you in our times of trouble and be patient, knowing that you will make it beautiful in time. We believe that trouble is temporary, and you’re going to bring us out better. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Coach Arthur Poston Jr.
Focused Development Organization
Middle School Coach

Today’s Community Scripture – 10/11/2024

Today’s Community Scripture – 10/11/2024

by | Oct 11, 2024 | Community Conversations, Prayers

– Scripture:

 

 

Moses objected, “They won’t trust me. They won’t listen to a word I say. They’re going to say, ‘God? Appear to him? Hardly!’ ” So God said, “What’s that in your hand?” “A staff.” “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it. It became a snake; Moses jumped back—fast! God said to Moses, “Reach out and grab it by the tail.” He reached out and grabbed it—and he was holding his staff again. “That’s so they will trust that God appeared to you, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” God then said, “Put your hand inside your shirt.” He slipped his hand under his shirt, then took it out. His hand had turned leprous, like snow. He said, “Put your hand back under your shirt.” He did it, then took it back out—as healthy as before. “So if they don’t trust you and aren’t convinced by the first sign, the second sign should do it. But if it doesn’t, if even after these two signs they don’t trust you and listen to your message, take some water out of the Nile and pour it out on the dry land; the Nile water that you pour out will turn to blood when it hits the ground.” Moses raised another objection to God: “Master, please, I don’t talk well. I’ve never been good with words, neither before nor after you spoke to me. I stutter and stammer.”

                          Exodus 4:1–10 MSG

– Reflection:

It will be Hard; But We must Speak

Yesterday, I wrote a post about the power of our tongues. Today, I want to talk about the words given to us by God. While we don’t have the same direct evidence of God speaking to individuals as in biblical times, we have a sense of purpose and love imprinted on our hearts from the beginning. Faith and love, along with the Holy Spirit, are the gifts God has left us. When these three come together, we can feel God’s presence in everything around us. Unfortunately, today, anger and fear are trying to replace faith and love, pushing the Holy Spirit further away from many people. It’s troubling, but it’s the reality we live in.

Where do we go from here?

Why do we humans long for “signs”? In Exodus, God responds to the Israelites’ cries in the wilderness to see a visible manifestation of Him. God offers a first sign and a second, and for the third, God says, “Let the water from the river become blood on the ground.” These are the signs that the people of that time received. We no longer have those, but what we do have is the WORD, “The Bible.” When we begin to read those words together, His presence is strongly felt among a group of us who are genuinely wrapped in faith. The world wants to bottle and hand us a stiff drink of chaos, hate, and despair. We have to believe that Christ died for us as He did all those years ago and still walks and helps us through our days. That is for those of us who believe; for the rest of those who do not, we are the guides to help them get to where they are going.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for another day in your presence. Thank you for allowing me to help another soul begin to balance their faith and love for you and those they hold dear. Please allow them to see that in Christ, everything is possible, and they will be safe if only they give their hearts to him. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

Coach Arthur Poston Jr.
Focused Development Organization
Middle School Coach

Today’s Community Scripture – 10/10/2024

Today’s Community Scripture – 10/10/2024

by | Oct 10, 2024 | Community Conversations, Prayers

– Scripture:

Announce this to the godless nations: Prepare for battle!
Soldiers at attention! Present arms! Advance! Turn your shovels into swords, turn your hoes into spears. Let the weak one throw out his chest and say, “I’m tough, I’m a fighter.” Hurry up, pagans! Wherever you are, get a move on! Get your act together. Prepare to be shattered by God! Let the pagan nations set out for Judgment Valley. There I’ll take my place at the bench and judge all the surrounding nations.

                              Joel 3:9–12 MSG

– Reflection:

               Power of Your Tongue

I am not sure if many people know it, but constantly telling yourself that something is wrong will eventually make something go wrong. It can affect your health, finances, relationships, and more. This negative self-talk can hold us back from reaching our potential. If we go around saying negative things about ourselves, our family, or our future, it will limit our potential for success. When you say, “I’ll never be successful. I’m not talented. I can’t break this addiction. I always get the flu. After what they did, I’ll never be happy again,” you’re giving those words the power to come true. You’re predicting your own future. You’re inviting negativity into your life. Before you say it, make sure you truly want it. The environments we grow up in often teach us to speak negatively about ourselves. As a child of Christ, it’s up to you to break free from this pattern. No one else is going to do it for you.

Where do we go from here?

It’s not easy to break the habit of allowing others to mistreat you and repeating negative words that have been passed down through generations. Now is the time to change your mindset. You can’t speak negatively and expect a positive life. You can’t talk about defeat and lack and expect to live a victorious and abundant life. Your words shape your future. If you want to know what you’ll be like in five years, listen to what you’re saying about yourself now. Stop speaking defeat over your future and start proclaiming victory over your life. Talk about the person you want to become. Speak about health, vitality, and abundance.

Our Prayer for Today

“Father, thank You for the power of our words to bring life to our faith and to speak our future into existence. We are grateful that we can use our words to welcome healing, freedom, abundance, and strength into our lives. We will declare what You say about us and the promises You’ve given us in Your Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Coach Arthur Poston Jr.
Focused Development Organization
Middle School Coach

Today’s Community Scripture – 10/8/2024

Today’s Community Scripture – 10/8/2024

by | Oct 8, 2024 | Community Conversations

– Scripture:

Then Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the People of Israel and I tell them, ‘The God of your fathers sent me to you’; and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What do I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I-AM-WHO-I-AM. Tell the People of Israel, ‘I-AM sent me to you.’ ” God continued with Moses: “This is what you’re to say to the Israelites: ‘God, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob sent me to you.’ This has always been my name, and this is how I always will be known. “Now be on your way. Gather the leaders of Israel. Tell them, ‘God, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I’ve looked into what’s being done to you in Egypt, and I’ve determined to get you out of the affliction of Egypt and take you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, a land brimming over with milk and honey.” ’ “Believe me, they will listen to you. Then you and the leaders of Israel will go to the king of Egypt and say to him: ‘God, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness where we will worship God our God.’

                           Exodus 3:13–18 MSG

– Reflection:

              What Is Your Name

I found this passage thought-provoking, as it talks about the significance of names and how they shape our perception of ourselves. In coaching and mentoring, a name given to a child by their environment can seem to fit them perfectly, even if they personally disagree with it. The text prompts me to consider the story behind my own name. Was it a family name passed down through generations, or was it inspired by a historical or public figure? The author emphasizes the importance of names, suggesting that when a name is chosen for someone, it becomes a part of their identity, shaping their persona as they grow into adulthood. The passage also touches on the significance of knowing the name of a god, as it symbolizes who to call on for help in times of trouble. This resonates with the Israelites’ need to know God’s name as they faced challenges during their journey. The passage concludes by expressing gratitude for being able to cry out to the Lord in times of trouble.

Where do we go from here?

Hopefully, none of us will find ourselves in a situation where we need help defending ourselves. However, it has been said that if you are in trouble and start calling out normal names given to people by their parents, others will be more likely to help you. We shouldn’t need a special reason to help someone, but if you hear your name, please follow that instinct to help.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for revealing your name to us. We really want to know who you are. Deliver us from all evil and assure us of your presence. Amen.

Coach Arthur Poston Jr.
Focused Development Organization
Middle School Coach

Today’s Community Scripture – 10/7/2024

Today’s Community Scripture – 10/7/2024

by | Oct 7, 2024 | Community Conversations, Prayers

-Scripture:

Do you think I speak this strongly in order to manipulate crowds? Or curry favor with God? Or get popular applause? If my goal was popularity, I wouldn’t bother being Christ’s slave. Know this—I am most emphatic here, friends—this great Message I delivered to you is not mere human optimism. I didn’t receive it through the traditions, and I wasn’t taught it in some school. I got it straight from God, received the Message directly from Jesus Christ. I’m sure that you’ve heard the story of my earlier life when I lived in the Jewish way. In those days I went all out in persecuting God’s church. I was systematically destroying it. I was so enthusiastic about the traditions of my ancestors that I advanced head and shoulders above my peers in my career. Even then God had designs on me. Why, when I was still in my mother’s womb he chose and called me out of sheer generosity! Now he has intervened and revealed his Son to me so that I might joyfully tell non-Jews about him.

                            Galatians 1:10–16 MSG

– Reflection:

               As Per the Plan

When Christianity was just starting out, there was a man named Saul who did everything he could to fight against it. According to Jewish tradition and the Tanakh, many rules were derived from the Torah, “The Teachings of Moses.” It seems that to Saul, these rules specifically instructed him to persecute anyone who didn’t follow the same rules he did regarding God. Christianity was new, but it was gaining structure because of Jesus, who was changing how the Bible was being lived out. This angered the religious teachers. Saul was like a terrorist until a sudden light from Heaven struck him to the ground on the road to Damascus, and Jesus revealed Himself to him. That day was a turning point, and Saul eventually became the apostle Paul. If God based His will only on our decisions, Paul wouldn’t have had a chance. The beauty is that God has a sovereign will that overrides our choices and puts us into His purpose. It’s the goodness of God, stepping in and showing us mercy and love when we should have judgment. In Paul’s case, this sovereign act brought him into his destiny to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.

Where do we go from here?

When you understand that God is sovereign, loving, and not basing everything on your choices, abilities, or background, you can stay in peace. Disappointments, losses, and bad breaks are all working according to the plan and purpose He decided long ago. You have to trust that He’s sovereign even when you don’t understand. So when Saul was causing pain for the early Christians, it was planned. Not the evil work that the man did, but the free will of that man to be and do what he thinks is right, only to be set straight by the Father himself. We do have free will, and when we use it to create disgrace, pain, and regret, God will still be there to redeem us, just as He did with Saul.

Our Prayer for Today

“Father, thank you for loving us and for never giving up on us when we’ve been off course and failed. Thank you for seeing a chosen vessel in Saul when he was persecuting the church, and for using us as your instruments too. We believe that you are leading us into our destiny. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Coach Arthur Poston Jr.
Focused Development Organization
Middle School Coach