Advancing God’s Kingdom “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” - Matthew 6:10 NKJV The only way the believer will ever advance the kingdom of God is by the power of the Holy Spirit that resides in us as God followers. I define the kingdom agenda as the visible manifestation of God’s rule over every area of our lives. We must remember that the Holy Spirit did not come just so we could know Him. He wants to empower us to accomplish God’s kingdom age

The Door That Leads to Life “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” - John 10:9 NKJV Here Jesus is describing a new way of relating to God that people could experience. Drawing on the relationship between sheep and the caring Shepherd who tends them, Jesus emphasizes trust. We can recognize the loving power of Jesus and rest in the security of His protection. Jesus also said, “My sheep listen to My voice. I know them

The Door and the Shepherd “Jesus said I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” - John 10:9 NKJV In this passage Jesus describes a new way of relating to God that people could experience. Drawing from the bond between sheep and their caring Shepherd, Jesus highlights trust. We can recognize the loving power of Jesus and rest in the security of his protection. Jesus also said, “My sheep listen to My voice. I know them an

Light in the Darkness “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” - John 8:12 NKJV Jesus said “I am the light of the world.” Jesus makes it clear that he illuminates darkness and brings light and life to those who follow him. Jesus offers real forgiveness, authentic love and grace rather than shame and condemnation. As John states in John 3:17 “for God did not send his Son int

Nourished to Nourish If Jesus said “I am the bread of life” then should we not nourish others through our contribution. “And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” - John 6:35 NKJV As believers, we should always be serving as Jesus served because we know what we have to offer. In every setting we find ourselves we should ask the question of what we have to give the world that would sati

The Spirit Who Helps “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” - Romans 8:26 NKJV Did you know that it is impossible to talk about power in prayer without talking about the Holy Spirit. It is true, the empowering ministry of the Holy Spirit fortifies our prayers and causes them to be as effective as possible. The first trut

Endless Mercy “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.”Psalms 107:1-2 NKJV I am so thankful that the Father granted me the privilege of having you in my life. Happy Thanksgiving. Team Wade loves you 🦃

A Grateful Heart “He who would serve God must begin by praising God, for a grateful heart is the mainspring of obedience.” - Charles Spurgeon “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” - Hebrews 13:15 NKJV No greater thanksgiving do I have to offer than to the Father, the Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Team Wade is praying for you and loves you and there is nothing you can do about it

The Care of the Father “God takes more care of us than we take of ourselves. You never heard of a man who numbered the hairs of his head.” - Charles Spurgeon “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny and not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore you are of more value than many sparrows.” - Matthew 10:29 to 31 ESV So with this being the case and God knowing us better than we know ourselve

Joy from Sorrow “Jesus tells me that my sorrow will be turned into joy. I do not see how it is to be, but I believe it.” - Charles Spurgeon “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” - Proverbs 3:5 to 6 NKJV To have faith that God can do the impossible is one thing. But to trust that He will is another. Father, When we cannot trace your hand help us to trust your heart. Team

Rest at His Feet “Sitting silently at the feet of Jesus is of more worth than all the clatter of Martha's dishes.” - Charles Spurgeon “The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while. For many were coming and going and they had no leisure even to eat.” - Mark 6:30 to 32 This text goes beyond religious obligation. Instead, it emphasizes the joy and fulfillment that

The Company You Keep “Bad company does a man real harm, for if you lie down with dogs you will get up with fleas.” - Charles Spurgeon While the Bible does not directly discuss the phrase “laying with dogs,” it does caution against associating with people or behaviors that could lead us astray. Bad influences can affect our character, and Scripture warns us to choose companions wisely, seeking relationships that encourage positive growth and honor God’s values. “Do not be dece

Judging the Sin of Others “Do not, like some people, be afraid of speaking plainly and broadly concerning the consequences of sin.” - Charles Spurgeon “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:8 to 9 NIV The Word of God is crystal clear about the consequences of sin. It is also crystal clear that we have all si

No Other Name “If we have but thee, we can ask nothing besides, for thou art all in all, and if we have thee not, we are wretched and undone.” — Charles Spurgeon John 14:6: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Acts 4:10–12: …It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth… that this man stands before you healed… Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by

The Umpire in Your Heart “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬ The word for rule in our text above means “umpire.” What does an umpire do in a baseball game? He calls the game. He tells you whether you are safe or out. He calls the shots. May we let the peace of God call the shots in our lives. Sounds great, doesn’t it? But how do you keep the peace of God ruling in

Knowing Him More "He who does not long to know more of Christ, knows nothing of him yet.” — Charles Spurgeon “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” - ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬ The greatest strength in the life of a believer is surrender. Every time we put our own desires to death, something stronger and more alive r

Pray Anyway “Whenever it is hardest to pray, it is most necessary to pray.” — Charles Spurgeon “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” - ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The call to follow Christ and surrender our lives to Him is not a call to ignore the pain. It is a call to trust that God will use the pain. He will use it for

Go and Tell “It is your business to preach the gospel to dead sinners, for it is the gospel that makes the dead to live.”— Charles Spurgeon “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Our job is to go and tell our story. Do not d

Empowered by Prayer Prayer is without a doubt the most important thing we do. It is prayer that empowers the everything else we do. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” - ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33‬-‭34‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ It will take more than reading the above text. It will take more than faith to bel

Treasure in the Cracks Have you ever noticed when the bottom falls out and life gets tough that silence is the worst part of it all. It is easy to believe in the goodness of God when things are good. It is harder when everything is falling to pieces and heaven seems quiet. But what if silence does not mean the absence of God. What if the pain we are going through is not punishment? Suffering is not the enemy of spiritual growth. It is often the doorway to spiritual growth. Th