First Friday Fellowship

Suffering  produces perseverance, that ability to “Stick to it.”   Whether our current “Dark Valleys are caused by our own sin, or caused by no fault of our own, if we turn to Him, if we repent, if we seek HIM, He will walk with us THROUGH IT. That DOES NOT mean, He will get us out of it. He is going to shape us, into the men and women that can be a blessing to everyone around us, and ULTIMATELY g...

Comparison is the source of all unhappiness. Even though we have ALL SINNED, we are too easy to say, “I know I'm a sinner… but, not like THAT guy!” When we only recognize a “Little Sin” in our life, we’re only a “Little Thankful.” The closer we come to Him, the more we will be able to see how enormous our sin really is. And when we have THAT recognition, that will lead to enormous gratitude.

How do you know if an idea is in your head, or is legitimately a prompting from the Holy Spirit… Is part of God's plan for you, or if it's your own thoughts or feelings, or just secret desires flooding your brain?! Test EVERYTHING by His Word.  Continue to seek His Will, both in The Word and in prayer, and you'll get the truth. But it's going to take some patience, and ALWAYS, it t...

When a flatterer, who doesn't love us, comes into our life and tells us how smart, and how beautiful, and how intelligent, and wise we are, this is an easy path to embrace, because flattery is REALLY seductive. There will always be a temptation to embrace words that feed our ego, and our vanity, and our sinful nature. Our world is aggressively training us to be hypersensitive to criticism; to...

The truth is not a popularity contest. The truth does not change, swayed and tossed by public opinion or outcry or acceptability. The truth remains. It will defend itself, and the wise will seek it, with everything in them.

Jesus Christ's resurrection is a time of ULTIMATE rejoicing. For in His triumph over death, we find the ultimate promise of salvation and the assurance of eternal life.

We are entering another time of testing, and it will, more than likely, get really rough, before it gets better. Problems, no matter good times or bad, will ALWAYS be with us. But, that doesn't mean we should despair. In fact, quite the opposite. How should we live in this current world? With vigilance, and prayer. Give it all to the Lord, and His peace will guard you.

Many of us have willingly hurt other people. We've abused relationships, and caused serious, and even in some cases, permanent harm to other people. There's not one person listening to this, particularly me, that doesn’t completely deserve hell. The Bible says, if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, then you're saved. If you’ve prayed that prayer a...

Why is it that it seems sometimes it seems that God doesn't hear or doesn't answer our prayers? Are struggles we currently experience, changing us in a way that allows us to see the truth so much more clearly?

If we are in a church that is hard to distinguish from our local Starbucks, or we are treating God’s Word like it is a living document... meaning changing with the times, meaning it’s meant to bend and adopt to our culture, then we have fallen into a trap. If so, then we should begin working out our salvation with fear and trembling, as the Bible tells us.

This world is incessantly tugging at our hearts, and that's not by accident. That's by design. We are perpetually in a state of distraction,  and when we are distracted, we're usually not remembering how dependent we are on God. God understands this, and He knows that we frequently need something to pierce the fog, and remind us that on our knees, we will find the help we need.  We nee...

We have different opinions of what the truth is, and what truth looks like. But the truth still remains the truth. Our opinion neither changes it, or effects it in anyway. TRUTH remains consistent and steadfast.

Life happens to all of us, and Christians are obviously not immune to the crashes in life.  When that fear comes, and the anxiety is grows, the best way to get control back, is simply to believe and trust Him, through His Word. God is  good, ALL THE TIME. He’s our Good Shepherd. We are His sheep. He cares for us. He protects us. He loves us. You can trust Him.

There is example after example in the Bible, of prayers not immediately being answered, or not being answered the way the person praying for them wishes.  Everything that we will ultimately appreciate in life, takes a real investment in time: Good marriages, raising kids, developing financial resources… and most importantly of all, recognizing God’s hand in your life.    Micah 7:7 / Isaiah 40:31 P...

The evidence is readily available, If you’ll just look.  Matthew 7:7 says, ”Seek and you'll find; knock on the door will opened unto you; ask, and it will be given to you.”

The evidence is readily available, If you’ll just look.  Matthew 7:7 says, ”Seek and you'll find; knock on the door will opened unto you; ask, and it will be given to you.”

Despair is defined as the complete loss or absence of hope.  Unfortunately, recent world events continue to press upon us, leading most of us to despair. But it is also a GREAT time. So… how could this possibly be a great time?  This is a great time, because we can find out what we really believe. We can find out if we truly believe. NOT because we will no longer have despair. NOT because we will...

We misplace our faith and hope, by placing it on man, instead of Jesus.

Consider this definition of gaslighting: “Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse, in which a person or group causes someone to question their own sanity, memories, or perception of reality.”  Satan was the very first being in the world to use Gaslighting, as a form of manipulation in the Garden of Eden.  Today, Gaslighting is one of the most pervasive and powerful psychological weapons, that...

To embrace a Christian lifestyle, is to embrace difficulty. The path to the kingdom, is to choose to be last; We must choose the role of servant. Our calling… our sacred duty, is to serve. Let us all embrace a servant's heart. Let each and everyone of us compete at being last, so that our eternal place is secured in Jesus’ name.

Every day I wake up with the intent to live my life in a way that God would be lifted up, and His Son, Jesus, glorified. However… every day, I blow it. What is it about me, that is so rebellious at the core?

God is not interested in our duty. He is not interested in religious performance. He is not interested in our offerings, if the offerings are not given with a sincere heart.  These are good things, but it’s not the test of true intimacy with God.  If you believe in your heart that Christ is the Messiah, is your personal savior, you believe that He raised from the dead; If you believe it...

We are finding ourselves in something quite a bit bigger than a culture war; the beginning of things, that seem to resemble major breakdowns in social constructs. With that, we have to make sure to continue to recognize that:  God is good. His mercies are new EVERY morning, and He is quick to forgive.   Pray for our nation. Ask God to heal our nation, and let’s turn toward Him.  Unt...

What does the Bible say about us deserving to be happy?   Happiness is often a temporary illusion. It’s a feeling. It fades quickly.    If we are joyful, we are fully loved, fully cared for and fully redeemed.    Proverbs 14:12 NIV / 2 Timothy 3:12-13 NLT   #Jesus  #JesusChrist  #FirstFriday  #God  #Christian  #ChristianLife  #Love  ...

When we live a life that is focused on all the things of this world; We create a separation between us and our God. When we separate ourselves from God, we turn off the flow of wisdom that comes directly from Him. Wisdom is the treasure that we should pursue. If we seek HIS wisdom, then the true riches of this life, and the life to come, will follow closely behind.