Springs First

Are you good at following directions? Prior to MapQuest and the GPS system, navigation was a bit more challenging for people. Do you remember the good old atlas? Following directions has been important since the beginning of time and not just the traveling kind. We know that Eve decided to follow the directions of the serpent rather than to follow the instructions of God. She ate from the tree that God had forbidden. Obviously, following wrong directions takes us to the wrong destination, but even wrong directions can seem right! This is why we must be careful to follow God’s ways. We can trust Him to never trick or deceive us. He is for us; not against us! Genesis 3:1 says, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made.” In other words, the serpent spoke to Eve in a cunning way to twist what God had spoken. Unfortunately Eve fell for it.

How many times do we fall for the traps of Satan who only seeks to deceive, hurt, and misguide us? It happens to all ages – children, teens, and adults. Proverbs 4:23-27 offers sound advice and wisdom to us. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”  Following Satan’s ways is certain to lead us to darkness and destruction, while God’s ways lead us to His light and to clean, holy living!

If you’ve ever been traveling on a road and made a wrong turn and gotten lost, you know that it is often not an easy and quick turnaround to get back on the right path. The same is true spiritually. Satan says, “It’s just a little compromise. You are just veering a little from God’s perfect plan. It’s really no big deal.” Friends, I promise you that it is a big deal. Being a little lost still means a person is lost! God’s command-ments and directions for our lives are not to harm us but to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Satan on the other hand, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8b). Let’s choose daily to follow God’s directions that will point us and lead us to heaven where we will one day see our Savior face to face!

Serving Christ,

Pastor Cindy                               

                                                        Copyright, 2010 by Cindy Lamb

We’ve heard it said that love makes the world go round. Can we imagine our own lives without any evidence of love? How miserable it would be to realize that we had lived our lives without loving others and being loved in return. Someone once wrote, “One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure its worth watching!” In other words, live your life with purpose and meaning so you’re not filled with only regrets one day. The Bible is a guide book for abundant living and it always points us to the meaning of authentic love! The most cherished love verse in the Bible is likely John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” What an amazing kind of love – to look at a world of sinners and to still love so deeply that God would give His precious and beloved Son to provide salvation for us! God’s love has always been what makes the world go round. After all, He is the One who created it. He’s also the One who teaches us how to sincerely love ourselves and others.

Sadly, many people get caught up in the “consumed” mentality – consumed with making money, consumed with climbing the corporate ladder, and consumed with buying more worldly goods to try and fill their own personal void. In the process, life grows emptier and relationships suffer and collapse. What people are actually longing for is a love relationship with Jesus Christ – the Author of love. Nothing else can satisfy that longing. We are given words of wisdom in 1 Corinthians 13 known as the love chapter. We know it well, but I invite you to take some time to dissect it phrase by phrase and piece by piece. Its very beginning reminds us that anything we do without love serves no benefit or purpose. A loving relationship should be two-sided, not one-sided. God’s love for us never has to be questioned or debated. He’s obviously already proven His love by sending His Son. He invites us to be in a love relationship with Him. Promises throughout scripture amaze us with the marvelous benefits and blessings that can be ours when we partner in relationship with our holy God! 1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” My friends, there is simply no other love so remarkable! Even Ephesians 3:18 invites us to try and grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ!

Along with God’s love comes His desire to also make us more Christ-like. This means we allow Him to shape our lives and our hearts so we resemble Him. Do you need the Author of love to show you some fresh insights about how to love yourself, a family member, a church member, a co-worker, or a neighbor? We must not allow pride, power, or personal fear to stand in the way of living out the loving words of 1 Corinthians 13. With Christ in us and working through us, we can be a channel of love and blessing taught by the Author of love Himself!

Serving Christ,

Pastor Cindy

                                                                Copyright, 2010 by Cindy Lamb

Most of us have tried to accomplish a task by ourselves at one time or another, and found we were unsuccessful because it demanded more strength than we were able to handle. I can painfully recall times when I have tried to lift heavy objects and the only thing accomplished was getting an aching back. Even for those individuals who are exceptionally strong, there are still limitations.

The world promotes being intellectual, properly educated, tough, and self-sufficient – a mentality of success by our own definition and degree. On the other hand, the Bible promotes being dependent on God, not on intellect, education, or human strength. I am in no way diminishing the importance of preparation, study, or education. After all, we are told in 2 Timothy 2:15 (nlt) to, “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” But even many of Jesus’ followers had to be retrained to have the mind and heart of Christ and not to rely on their own human logic and philosophy. Many of us today have to learn this same lesson – remembering God is the only one who provides the supernatural. Any talent, ability, or spiritual gift that you and I possess minus God still equals zero. I invite you to take some time to read 1 Corinthians 1:18-30 but allow me to share verses 19-21a (nlt). As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world to be foolishness. These verses remind us that knowing God with only the mind is not enough. What is known in the mind about Him must travel to the heart and soul. This is where the deep need for a relationship with Christ is realized and acted upon. For a life filled with power, the God factor is absolutely essential. Then there will be opportunities to see tightly locked doors swing open wide and walls of darkness give way to God’s light! As we consider all that’s needed to live our lives to the fullest measure, let’s be sure to put THE GOD FACTOR in the number one place!

Serving Christ,

Pastor Cindy                               

                                                    Copyright, 2010 by Cindy Lamb