Devotional Blog

Ashes

3/2/2022

Today, Ash Wednesday, marks the beginning of Lent. Most of our culture knows more about Mardi Gras than Lent, just as most of us would prefer celebration over repentance. But both have their place in the seasons of life. Lent reminds us of the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness being tested by temptation and purified and empowered by prayer. Lent comes right before Holy Week and Easter as a time for people to focus on faith and remember all that Christ endured on the cross that we might know true forgiveness and love. It also reminds us of the good news of the hope of the resurrection and new life.
Ashes have long been a symbol of repentance and humility. From early times many Christians have used the ashes of burned palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday, to mark the sign of the cross on their foreheads as a symbol of repentance and prayer and as a witness of their faith. Even more important than the roots of these wonderful traditions, is the power of prayer. It is easy to look around our world and see great needs that touch our hearts. But let us discover anew the power of prayer. There is no power equal to the power of believers gathering together to seek God and pray.
Challenge yourself to a special time of prayer for yourself and the needs around the world. Discover a fresh renewal as we pray for our world and for our lives that we may be filled with God's love and empowered by God's Spirit to reach out with a whole new passion to others in need. Open your heart anew to God's love and power. Discover the power of prayer!

(Verse of the week)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart. (Jeremiah 29.11)

(Prayer of the week)
Almighty and Loving God, thank you for the privilege and power of prayer. Help me to discover in prayer your great love and help me to let your power touch my life that I may face the challenges and adversities of life with hope and peace, and be a light in your world.
Amen.
Have a great week!—Pastor TJ

(quote of the week)
prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night—George Herbert

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

Joy of the Lord

2/24/2022

Have you ever gotten tired and worn out of working on a perfectly wonderful thing? Even when working for the Lord we sometimes get tired and weary. Nehemiah had given up a life of service in the royal palace to come and rebuild the walls the holy city. The people threw themselves into the labor. But soon the weight of the walls, outweighed the joy of the vision. Nehemiah reminded them that they were not just rebuilding walls, but rebuilding the place of God's blessing. He reminded them of the vision, and he reminded them of the attitude of service: "the joy of the Lord is your strength!" With a renewed purpose and vision, and a new attitude of joy the people completed the task for the glory of God! It is a good lesson for each of us. We do sometimes grow weary in well- doing, but there is hope! Remind yourself of the vision and purpose of our labor and life-showing others the love of Christ; and remember the attitude that inspires- "the joy of the Lord is your strength."

(Verse of the Week)
"The joy of the Lord is your strength!" (Nehemiah 8.10)

(Prayer of the Week)

Lord, thank you for the gift of life and your great love. Renew a joyful spirit in me and give me a fresh appreciation for faith and life and all you have done for me and others. Amen.

Blessings!--Pastor TJ

(quote of the week)
Joy is the simplest form of gratitude—Karl Barth

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

Deep Calls to Deep

2/17/2022

Most of us have a deep inner longing for God. The trouble is we stay so busy in life that we are often not in touch with that yearning until we are forced into quiet solitude or loneliness or desperation by a crisis in life. Then we feel the void deep inside and the quiet tug of eternity on our heart. But we can also quiet ourselves from the busyness of the world, of deadlines and demands—and simply listen for the still small voice of God. Listen for a moment and feel the quiet whisper of God’s love in your heart; feel the steadfast strength of His grace encircling you. Like the woman at the well, we may discover that our spiritual thirst leads us to Jesus the living water who quenches our thirst and renews our faith and life. Listen to these words from the psalmist:

(Verse of the week)
As the deer pants for streams of water,
       so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
       When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food
       day and night,
     while men say to me all day long,
       “Where is your God?” . . .
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
       Why so disturbed within me?
     Put your hope in God,
       for I will yet praise him,
       my Savior and my God.
Deep calls to deep
       in the roar of your waterfalls;
     all your waves and breakers
       have swept over me.
By day the LORD directs his love,
       at night his song is with me--
       a prayer to the God of my life.
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
       Why so disturbed within me?
     Put your hope in God,
       for I will yet praise him,
            my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42.1-11 selections)

(Prayer of the week)
Lord, help me to slow down from the busyness of life and quiet myself in your presence and love. Fill me with your strength and grant me grace to face life with hope and joy.   And strengthened by your love may I touch others with care and compassion. May others see your love and grace in all I do. May I be a blessing to others, through your power and to your glory. Amen.

Open your heart to God’s amazing love!-Pastor TJ

(quote of the week)
It is not how long you live but how well you live –Ben 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

Super Sunday

2/10/2022

Big Game. Big Day. Super Bowl Sunday is this Sunday! We love Game Day! The Competition. The intensity. The big matchup. The crowd cheering. Most of us will watch with anticipation, displaying our team colors proudly, cheering until we are hoarse. We love the game and all the pageantry surrounding it. Count me in!
What if we came with that same enthusiasm, dedication, and team spirit to worship and serving God? We have so much for which we can be thankful, and far more is on the line than even a championship. Jesus challenges us to bring passion to our faith focusing on the Great Command:

(verse of the week)
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30,31)

(Prayer of the week)
Lord, help me to live and love and serve you and my neighbor with the passion of a great athlete. Help me to love your with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Rekindle my faith and love in you and help me to be empowered to worship you and serve others. Amen!
Open your heart to God's amazing love!--Pastor TJ

(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

Keep the Fire Going

2/3/2022

Like much of the country we are in the midst of a snowstorm, with snow piling up faster than many of us can shovel it out of the driveway and sidewalk. I do enjoy an occasional snowstorm and the beauty of the snow swirling and sparkling in the night sky. I like the way the morning sun glistens off the snow-covered branches like white lace covering the trees. I like the smell of wood burning in the fireplace and the sound of children laughing as they build snowmen or pull each other on sleighs.
I also think it is good for all of us to slow down a bit and enjoy family time, help a neighbor get unstuck from a snowdrift, or share a hot chocolate with a friend. And there’s nothing quite like sitting around a good fire in the fireplace and enjoying its warmth.
It’s also a good time to think about what keep us warm in the deepest part of our soul. The Apostle Paul reminds us to keep the fire of faith going in our hearts, for it is the source that sees us through the fiercest storm and darkest night. May we all stir the embers of our faith, and keep the fire burning bright that we may stand strong and others may see and be touched by God’s love.

(verse of the week)
Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. Serve the Lord. (Romans 12:11)

(prayer of the week)
Lord, rekindle the fire of my faith and love that it may burn bright, and I may share your love in the darkest night. Amen.

(quote of the week)
I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else—C.S. Lewis

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

More Trust

1/27/2022

(scripture of the week)
"And my God shall supply all your needs according to his glorious riches in
Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4.19)

When you first read those words from the Apostle Paul, you might think he
was writing from the comfort of a safe, secure suburban home. But he
was not. Or you might think he was writing to a group of people safe in
the comforts of life. But he was not.
In fact, Paul was writing from the confines of a prison, where he had
constant surveillance and where he knew he could easily loose his life for
his beliefs. And he was writing to a group of people who also were in the
throes of persecution. And yet through it all he could write with
conviction: "And my God shall supply all your needs according to his
glorious riches in Christ Jesus." The Apostle Paul had great trust in God. You can, too!

(prayer of the week)
Loving Lord, help me to trust you through all the hills and valleys of life. Let every blessing fill me with thankfulness, and every challenge deepen my trust. In all things, let me follow you and share your love with others, through your power and to your glory, amen.

(quote of the week)
“. . . it is presumptuous in me to wish to choose my path, because I cannot tell which path is best for me. I must leave it to the Lord, Who knows me, to lead me by the path which is best for me, so that in all things His will may be done—Teresa of Avila, Interior Castle

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

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