Chats with Chaplain Anthony

God is not a hermit with an inapproachable celebrity mentality. He walked as we walked and felt every bit of temptation that life could throw at him. Now his position by the Father gives us access to his mercy, grace, and relationship. Jesus can be trusted because of His leadership to our lives.  Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV 14  Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jes...

Our lives are full of decisions. If we make the right choice when people are living with ulterior motives. But the right thing done in private speaks to our character and integrity. Live for God in public, at church, is easy and assumed. Living for God and honoring Him in private reveals the state of your heart and trust that you truly do have in him. As you do the right things, even when people a...

As humans, we are naturally wired to find community. The problem is that when we allow community to stumble upon us it will only affect us to a certain degree intentional community allows us to love and serve others as others are seeking to reciprocate God’s love. Seek these types of fellowships and you will be better equipped to take on life’s difficulties.  Acts 2:42 ESV 2  “And they devoted the...

The idea of being pruned in any sense is never a fun thought. But the value and benefit and pruning is for the greater good of yourself and others around you. Every time someone visits the gym or runs the track, they are pushing their body to a limit to see it come back stronger. The same thing can be thought about our spiritual development while following and trusting Jesus. Have hope in the prun...

If God has rescued you then you are on the path of growth development. Any new believer is learning new things and implementing new spiritual practices that were not an original instinct. But this path toward's Christ's righteousness is both an already present reality and a journey to make it our own. Philippians 3 reminds us to strive but to do so humbly in order to honor God not ourselves.  Phil...

Loving and honoring people is not so complicated. It just requires us to set aside our desire to be served and the result is others are valued. When we are looking into the interests of others rather than our own, this is when true love and service begin. Seek to glorify Him by serving others.  1 Corinthians 10:23, 31 ESV 23  “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are...

There are a number of different things that we can do to better improve ourselves and those around us. The great thing we could do is live up to the greatest commandment that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 22. Give yourself permission to grow in this area of your life today. It will bless you and others if you hold to them.  Matthew 22:35-40 ESV 35  And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to t...

Philippians 4:13 is a verse that is often taken to mean that you can achieve your American Dream through God. However, the core of the verse speaks more to who God is in our abundance and our need. God's strength and sustenance for us is greater than our status or success. Learning to turn, follow, and trust Him in every season of life is key to achieving peace in Him.  Philippians 4:10-13 ESV 10 ...

When I say this, I don't mean to find yourself a follower. I mean for you to look for the person that is being overlooked and forgotten about. Remind them that they are still loved and seen by God. None of us feels like we are the center of God's world when He's constantly doing so many things...but even Jesus wasn't distracted by the crowd. He still saw and valued Levi. Look for your Levi, make a...

At times, we get blinded by our devotion to Christ because we prop up our standards of devotion rather than our spiritual fruit. As Christians, we get known for our ability to downcast the interest and entertainment of others in a way to highlight our devotion to God. But the Bible reminds us that our love for one another is how the world will know us, not our avoidance and demonizing of lifestyle...

Sometimes we forget that we are simply children seeking to imitate the example of our Father. It's amazing when God gives examples in our life to remind us of the bigger picture of what He's doing in our lives. Look out for the daily lessons that He is teaching you and always remember to imitate His love to those that are around you.  Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV 1  Therefore be imitators of God, as belove...

The beauty of life is the many dynamics of those around us. No one has the same exact story but all of us have something to learn from a friend, neighbor, or family member. Allow yourself to get outside of yourself and your reality in order to see someone experiencing and living life differently than yourself. This practice will help you grow closer together and grow closer with God.  Acts 2:42 ES...

In this day, it feels easy to post anything that will give someone a reason to be offended by you. But the Gospel preacher, Paul, reminds us of a more important way to live. It's not about us being right or our advantage. It's about people being in your life so that you might be able to share the love of God with them.  1 Corinthians 10:31-33, 11:1 ESV 31  So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever...

When life knocks you back, someone is there to back you up. The moments of darkness are not completely black because there is a light with you. Every time you feel like you have been pushed far enough, remember who is with you at all times. Your story isn't over it's in process.  Micah 7:8 ESV Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a li...

Being a good person is a hard thing to define. Many will see front-line workers, superheroes, and saints as the only "good" people on earth. But these images of good and selflessness are often only what we see in the public view. Being a good person requires a 24/7 devotion to virtuous ethics and acts. In order to be the same good person in public and in private requires devotion and practice to s...

This isn't a masquerade but we are trying to portray someone else when living this life as a Christ-follower. A life that exhibits the virtues and actions in Romans 12 will help other people to see past who we are and onto someone else. This is the hope as Christians so that we can share who Jesus is with people. But even if you don't believe in Him, you cannot deny these acts of service and love...

This isn't a masquerade but we are trying to portray someone else when living this life as a Christ-follower. A life that exhibits the virtues and actions in Romans 12 will help other people to see past who we are and onto someone else. This is the hope as Christians so that we can share who Jesus is with people. But even if you don't believe in Him, you cannot deny these acts of service and love...

Today, I just felt like checking in on you. Every now and then we need to be reminded that the things we feel are okay. Your story isn't over. Please don't give up on the bigger picture. Feel free to make adjustments and pivots but don't walk away. People love you and care about you. If you need someone to talk with, I'm always here. No particular verse was discussed today but this is one of my fa...

The starting lines are full of excited partakers. But the finish line is not as populated. Not enough people have the patience or dedication to see a commitment through. Your life has no doubt been full of new and exciting seasons. The end of a thing comes with a much more gratifying and satisfying feeling because you walked through the entire process to the end. Hang in and hang on, you've got th...

We are striving for money, power, and success. It's in every commercial and advertisement across the different media platforms. But the greatest way to live a blessed life is to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in your everyday. Study these fruits and God will begin to ripen them in your life. Intentionally follow Him today. You got this.  Galatians 5:22-23 ESV 22  But the fruit of the Spirit is lo...

There is a time and a season for just about everything. I'm sure you have experienced a good amount of transition and change in your life. The new outfit once was excited but now you're ready to throw it out. Your old job once had that fresh and exciting energy. Now you've lost a loved one and don't know how you should feel or live going forward. Make space to mourn. Feel the emotion of loss and g...

The world is full of work and hustle. Every advertisement is encouraging you on how you can do more with less time, less effort, and for less money. But we fill our cups to the top without prioritizing some of the most important things. Rest and recovery are a huge part of life that we try to push off for the very end. What if you thought of your rest as a foundational part of your growth? Give yo...

The currency of worry only buys heartache. Your life is one big process that you can either worry and stress over or you can let go and let God work. Everything is playing a role in forming the person that you are going to become. Seek the opportunity to value and get the most out of each day in order to let go of some stress.  Philippians 4:6 ESV 6  do not be anxious about anything, but in everyt...

Is there a limit on your love? If you require some measure of performance before you can show or serve with love then stop and reflect on what Christ's love has done in your own life. If we are seeking to imitate His life on this earth, then we'll need the help of the Holy Spirit to love an enemy and serve a counterpart in such a way that does not glorify ourselves. This is a hard and challenging...

This lesson from Luke 2 is an interesting moment. We see Jesus being an astonishing and talented student while still in his youth. Achieving this type of educational intrigue at the age of 12 is amazing but not the goal I'm asking you to seek for yourself or your children. Instead, take an honest look and assessment as to how earnestly you're seeking wisdom and insight into your faith. Be humble a...