Grace is Sufficient | Oct. 2nd

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

2 Corinthians 12:9

Weakness is something we try to avoid with all of our being. The thorn in Paul's flesh was something he sought God to remove on several occasions. It was causing him to suffer, and Paul thought his life would be better without it. Until the Lord showed Paul that it was necessary for him and that grace would prove sufficient despite it.

The sufficiency of grace can only be discovered through suffering. God in mercy and wisdom brings seasons and moments when we learn how God's grace meets us. At first, we may respond like Paul, seeking to have the burden lifted, to be delivered from the trial, or to have the thorn removed.

Let us accept that God may deny such requests at times. God is keeping us and proving His grace in our lives through suffering. Nothing can separate you from His love, and the Lord works all things for your good.

In Christ Alone,

Pastor Wight

Good Dirt | Oct. 1st

"And other seed fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.

But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

Mark 4:8, 20

Beloved, the desire to produce fruit glorifying unto the Lord can only be accomplished by the Holy Spirit. As we have considered the soil conditions over the past few days, we must ask ourselves, what is the condition of my heart?

No one has good soil except if you are in Christ. Our hearts are hard, full of weeds, and easy prey to the enemy. Christ has turned our hearts of stone into flesh again. Our hope in Christ is that He will create good soil within us. He will give constant care by weeding and breaking up the following ground.

The Lord will bring depth to our souls. He enables us to resist the fowl of the air which desires to destroy the seed. The Holy Spirit will convict, refresh, and produce fruit that will be glory to the Father. May we yield to the Lord today and bring forth His fruit.

In Christ Alone,

Pastor Wight

Weeding | Sep. 30th

"Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.

And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful."

Mark 4:7,18-19

Growing up in the country many families had a garden, ours was no exception. With each passing season, the garden seemed to increase in size. There would be a greater variety of vegetables and eventually a couple of fruit trees and grapes.

Gardening became part of the chores my sisters and I were required to do. At the top of the list was weeding out the garden. Weeds take away nutrients and space away from the produce. They draw the water intended for the vegetables, block the sun if they get too big, and crowd out what you want to grow. It felt as though the weeds pop out overnight. It required vigilance.

The cares of life, burdens, and desires can crowd out what our minds should be set on. These things draw our attention and passion away from the things of God. Even the burdens of life represented by our responsibilities should be brought before the word of God so that we might see them properly and seek God's mercy and help.

Any desire that takes us away from God and the things of God is a thorn attempting to make the grain unfruitful. Be aware of the things that consistently keep you from reading and praying, causing you to miss church and have your mind thinking about everything else rather than the Lord and what He has for your life.

Ask the Holy Spirit to weed out your heart today.

In Christ Alone,

Pastor Wight