Devotional Blog

January 20th, 2022

1/20/2022

Trust

It’s easy to get caught up with our culture’s focus on power and prestige. We sometimes find it hard not to covet the sumptuous lifestyles of people we so often
read about in newspapers and magazines. Nice cars. Big homes. Fame. Fortune. But Paul reminds us that the most important thing in life is not what we have or don’t have, but the one in whom we put our trust--Christ!

(scripture of the week)
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I
have learned the secret of being in content in any and every situation,
whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can do all things through Him who gives me strength (Philippians 4.12,13)

(prayer of the week)
Lord, help me to be content with both the blessings and the burdens of life. In all things let me be thankful, and help me to lean into your strength, knowing that through you, all things are possible, amen.

Blessings in Christ!–Pastor TJ

(quote of the week)
The greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances—Martha Washington

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney at YouTube &
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com/
Check the latest leadership blog by Dr. TJ http://www.drtj.us

Perspective

1/13/2022

There are a lot of books and articles on the benefits of positive thinking and having a positive outlook. But few really have insight or guidance on how to change our deep inner selves where attitudes are generated. Paul’s challenge and encouragement is quite different. Writing from a cold, dark prison cell, where he is imprisoned for his faith, Paul challenges people facing adversity and even persecution, to anchor their faith and life in Christ, who alone can hold us secure through any of the storms of life. Only Christ can give a deep peace through the most turbulent times. With that in mind, Paul challenges us to focus on what is true and noble and all the positive aspects of life, confident that God has a plan and a purpose and God has the power to see us through. Listen again to Paul’s words of challenge and encouragement:

(scripture of the week)
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:4–9 NIV11)

(prayer of the week)
Gracious God, in this new year, help me to have confidence in your plan and purpose for my life, even when buffeted by the storms of life. Let my life be anchored in Christ, knowing you alone bring peace amid the storm. Give me vision to see the plan you have more my life, and faith to trust you to fulfill it, through your power and to your glory, amen.

Blessings –Pastor TJ

(quote of the week)
Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe—St. Augustine

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney at YouTube &
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com/
Check the latest leadership blog by Dr. TJ http://www.drtj.us

Happy New Year!

1/6/2022

The new year is a time for resolutions and goal setting. We celebrate the accomplishments of the past. We let go of those things where we fell short. We treasure the memories we shared. But with the new year, we look forward to setting and accomplishing some new goals with renewed strength. Strengthened by our faith in Christ, we press forward to use our gifts and talents to accomplish some goals that will honor God and bless others. The Apostle Paul shared all these experiences and expresses it beautifully in this passage written from a prison cell to people facing challenge and adversity, yet it rings with a positive note:

(scripture of the week)
“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. 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, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12–14 NIV11)

(prayer of the week)
Loving God, thank you for a new year! Thank you for the blessings of the past, and thank you for your grace for the shortcomings of the past. Bless our life with goals that honor you and bless others, and renewed strength to serve you and others. Grant us a fresh vision of life as you intend it, guided by your Word and empowered by your Spirit, through Christ Our Lord, amen.

(quote of the week)
Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man--Benjamin Franklin

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney at YouTube &
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com/
Check the latest leadership blog by Dr. TJ http://www.drtj.us

Starry Night

12/30/2021

God put a star in the night sky to guide the wise men to where the Christ child lay. God still puts stars in the sky to light our night and guide our way. On that first Christmas challenges had to be overcome, long distances had to be traveled and a king tried to deceive and misguide them, but through it all God guided the ancient magi with a star. The star was a sign of God's love to all people in all places that God's love was reaching out to them. Through darkness and adversity, God will guide you, too. In your darkest night, through your greatest trial, God will never leave you alone. God will put a star in the night to break through the darkness and guide your way. Your star may take on different forms, but take hope and know that God will shine through the darkest night to show you love and life. How can we trust God's love for us? -Simple, because God cared enough to share all of our life with us in Christ born in a humble manger, and then in Christ to show us the way of love and new life.
Whatever challenge you face, however dark your night, take heart! Follow the star, and kneel before the Christ child, and know the peace and hope and love that only He gives. Know that in the greatest darkness God's love shines brightest, and God loves you!

(scripture of the week)
The wise men went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. (Matthew 2.9-11 NIV)

Amid the hustle and bustle of Christmas, open your heart to God's amazing love . . . and the miracle of Christmas! And then let the miracle last the whole year long—Pastor TJ

(Prayer of the week)
Loving Heavenly Father, I open my heart to your amazing love, let the light of your love shine into my life. Forgive me of failures of the past, and give me new life through the miracle of Christ. Fill my life with the true gifts of Christmas--your hope, peace, love and joy. May I find a new purpose in life and a new promise for the future, through your grace and to your glory. Amen.

(quote of the week)
Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!--Charles Dickens

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney at YouTube &
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com/
Check the latest leadership blog by Dr. TJ http://www.drtj.us

Star

12/23/2021

Have you and your family looked at the stars in the night sky lately? They are beautiful and bright. Stars light up the sky in beautiful ways that guide and inspire us. Ancient sailors navigated the seas by the stars. Travelers on land also were guided by the stars. Stars have captivated our imagination and inspired our stories. But God also gave a promise about a star that would change the world and guide us toward God, the Creator of all the stars. Take a moment and allow your life to be guided by the light that shines in the darkest night, our Lord Jesus.

(scripture of the week)
"A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel"--Numbers 24.17

(prayer of the week)
Loving Creator, you created all the universe and you created me. Help me to see and be guided by the light of your love sent in Christ. In Christ, let me find true hope, peace, love and joy, and share those great gifts with others near and far, amen.

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!—Pastor TJ

(quote of the week)
Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas--Calvin Coolidge

Hustle and Bustle

12/16/2021

This time of the year there is plenty of anxiety and stress over the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping and to-do lists and lots of other good things. Sometimes we forget the reason for the season. Amid the busyness, we rejoice knowing that God loves us. And whether we are a lowly shepherd or a person bearing costly gifts, we find our savior in Bethlehem. Let us take time to experience anew the wonder of God’s love come in Christ and share the gifts only he can bring—hope, peace, love and joy.

(scripture of the week)
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
On them a light has shone –Isaiah 9.2

(prayer of the week)
Loving Heavenly Father, help me to push back the busyness and lean into your grace and love. Renew my heart with the true gifts of Christmas found only in Christ the Lord—hope, peace, love and joy. amen

Blessings –Pastor TJ

(quote of the week)
God never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving. If he gives us the gift of Christmas, it is because we all have the ability to understand and receive it. Pope Francis

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney at YouTube &
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com/
Check the latest leadership blog by Dr. TJ http://www.drtj.us

Candles

12/9/2021

One of the Christmas traditions in Pennsylvania where I grew up was to put a single candle in each window of a home. On a dark night, you could see the candles glowing far away. It always made me feel like there was hope shining in the night. No matter how cold and snowy outside, those candles glowing in the windows made you feel there was a special warmth in the home.

I think that’s the way our lives often reflect the love of Christ. We may feel we are only one candle glowing in the night. But often times people may look across the darkness and see our lives aglow with the love of Christ in a special way that gives them hope.

(scripture of the week)
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8.12).

(prayer of the week)
Lord, touch my life with the light of your love. May all I do reflect your love. And may I be a candle in the night, shining hope to others near and far, through Christ, the Light of the World, amen.

Wishing you a blessed Christmas season—Pastor TJ

(quote of the week)
I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year –Charles Dickens

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney at YouTube &
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com/
Check the latest leadership blog by Dr. TJ http://www.drtj.us

Angels Whisper

12/2/2021

Read again the wonderful story of the angel speaking to Zechariah and was touched. Zechariah is going about his daily duties in the temple. He is burning incense to glorify God, when the angel appears. So many times God comes to us in the ordinary, the daily duties of life, as we faithfully serve God wherever we are in life. But in another sense, he is in the Lord’s house. And so it is that God often meets us in the intersection of the ordinary and the extraordinary, the human and the divine. When the angel appears to Zechariah, he is afraid. But the angel speaks those beautiful words of comfort and promise: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, “ your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you are to call his name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth.” Zechariah moves from fear and trembling to wonder and rejoicing. This was likely a prayer request that Zechariah and Elizabeth had long given up on. But God was faithful.
The promise had to be fulfilled in God’s timing not theirs, as so often is the case in our lives as well. Of course, Zechariah could hardly believe it and said so. At least he was honest with God. A lesson we would do well to learn as well. The angel told him that because he did not believe, he would not be able to speak until this happens. Perhaps it was not so much punishment as a way for Zechariah to do what we should do more—to quietly meditate on the promises of God. And as we meditate on God’s promises in silence, the promise unfolds in power within us. So it was with Zechariah, and perhaps Elizabeth needed a little silence from Zechariah as well as she pondered this divine wonder. But then the moment of triumph as Zechariah was asked after John’s birth what the child’s name would be, and he faithfully followed God’s command and affirmed that his name would be John, and all of the sudden he was able to speak again. So it is with the seed of faith that meditates on the promises of God, growing faithfully, until in the right moment it springs forth into the full flower of promise. A lesson for each of us . . .

(scripture of the week)
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah, “ your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you are to call his name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth.” Luke 1:13

(prayer of the week)
Lord, help me to find new faith in the promises you have made to me for my faith and life. Help me to mediate on your words of promise to me that they may grow within me and, in the right moment, come forth through your power and to your glory, amen.

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney at YouTube &
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com/
Check the latest leadership blog by Dr. TJ http://www.drtj.us

Happy Thanksgiving

11/24/2021

Two words can wonderfully and powerfully change your life. Two words can change your perspective and touch lives around you with love and joy. What are those two words? -- Thank you! Learning to thank God and others is one of the great keys to a happy life and a hallmark of a life of greatness. There is no better time of the year to make a change in your outlook on life or renew your focus on gratitude. Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday to be with family and friends, to enjoy a great meal and spend quality time together, but it is also a time to renew a spirit of thankfulness. Thanksgiving reminds us that one of the great secrets in life is living with an attitude of gratitude. Early pilgrims faced a grueling winter their first year in America enduring a harsh New England winter and the loss of many family and friends, yet chose to continue to have a deep faith in God and an attitude of gratitude. In the spring their new Native American friends showed them how to plant corn with a more plentiful harvest. That first harvest they reached out with an attitude of thankfulness and invited these new friends to a wonderful feast of thanksgiving celebrating God’s goodness and provision. Living with an attitude of gratitude is more than a once-a-year thing, it is learning to focus on the things for which we have to be thankful each and every day, and allowing that attitude of gratitude to touch the heart and lives of those around us. We all have so much to be thankful for: gifts and talents, friends and family, seasons of the year and seasons of life…Take a moment to say two words that can rekindle your joy for living and brighten someone’s day--thank you!…And take a moment to say thank you to God. . . Whatever your circumstances know that God loves you and God is there to see you through. Take a moment each day to say thank you to God. You will discover a deeper power and greater joy in your life! Surrounded by the cold, dark walls of an ancient Roman prison, the Apostle Paul writes these surprising words of encouragement to people undergoing adversity and persecution:

(Verse of the week)
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. (1Thessalonians 5.18)

Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!
--Pastor TJ

(Prayer of the week)
Gracious and loving God, thank you for the many blessings with which you have touched my life. Thank you for the challenges of life that shape and strengthen me. Give me faith to trust in your plan and your strength. Mold me and make me that others may see your true reflection in me. Most of all may I experience your great love anew every day. May I be joyful in all things, and may I treat others with love that they may see the light of your love in me. Amen.

(quote of the week)
Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulty. Happiness cannot come from without. It must come from within.—Helen Keller

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney at YouTube &
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com/
Check the latest leadership blog by Dr. TJ http://www.drtj.us

Fall Colors

11/18/2021

I love the colors of fall and recently spent some time walking along Lisa’s Faith and Fitness Trail, a beautiful trail around our church campus, just enjoying the beautiful fall colors. I would like to invite you to take a moment and enjoy the beauty of creation during these later days of fall. The colors are truly beautiful. My favorite are the reds and yellows especially together. But it’s all beautiful. It’s as if God invited the sunset and the sunrise to color the trees. But here’s the thing--Sooner or later, hopefully later, the colors will fade, and the leaves will fall, and we will have to wait until next year to enjoy them again. So, take a moment and enjoy it with your family on a nice walk. Some of the folks have put up some scarecrows just to make your walk more fun and enjoyable. Here’s a positive word for your journey from the psalms--

This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24)

So, don’t wait. Put aside some of the busyness and enjoy the beautiful fall colors. Take some quiet time to reflect on the beauty of creation and let it whisper to you the blessings of the Creator . . . or don’t forget to enjoy it in the company of those you love . . .

(Prayer)
Lord, thank you for the beauty of creation. Help me to take some time and just enjoy it and reflect on your love and the love of others you have placed in my life.

(quote of the week)
The only enemy we have is the one whose story we have not heard-- Quaker saying

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney at YouTube &
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com/
Check the latest leadership blog by Dr. TJ http://www.drtj.us/