Years ago, when the wicked King Ahab ruled over Israel, many people did not believe that God was real and they didn’t want to obey his laws; so instead, they made themselves fake gods of stone and wood. They acted like these gods were real and did all kinds of crazy things to try to prove they were alive. Because of this disobedience, God sent a drought on the land. There was no rain for three years.

At the end of three years, God sent his servant Elijah to the king. King Ahab hated Elijah and wanted to get rid of him, and it was even worse after Elijah told the king that it was Ahab and the disobedient people who had brought trouble on themselves. They had disobeyed the one true God. Elijah had an idea. He told King Ahab to bring all the people to a mountain called Mount Carmel where they would do a test to see who was more powerful – the true God or the fake god.

1 Kings 18:22-24 says:
22 Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”

The people of Israel had a choice: they could either choose to follow the one true god or follow the fake god Baal; but they could not stand in the middle anymore. It’s like playing sports – you can’t be on both teams at the same time – you have to be on one or the other.

Let’s see what happens in 1 Kings 18: 36-39
36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. 39When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

Do you think it was hard to see who was the one true God now? No way! The people fell on their faces and said, “the Lord…He is God! The Lord…He is God!” We can see in this story that Elijah had a choice: he could either do what was right and worship the one true God or do what everyone else was doing and serve a false god. Because he was willing to take a stand, an entire nation was brought back to the Lord!

We have that same choice and if you’re a child of God, I challenge you to do what’s right no matter what everyone else is doing or who everyone else is following! Remember this – the one true God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He does not ever lose his power or forget about his children!

Dear God, today we have been given a challenge – to choose ourselves and the false gods around us, or to choose you. WE CHOOSE YOU! We choose you when we are scared to be different…we choose you when we feel alone in our faith…we choose you when people around us are doing wrong…we choose you because you are worthy to be chosen! Thank you for choosing us first. We love you. Amen.

Kim Jewell

Today we are looking at the model of the Lord’s Prayer in teaching us to trust in God for our daily needs. 

Matthew 6:11-12 “Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Jesus teaches us to rely on God daily. Just as He provided manna in the wilderness, to the Hebrews, He still provides for our needs today. But this prayer also reminds us that spiritual provision found I the grace and forgiveness that has been lavished upon us through the work of the cross, and extending this grace and forgiveness to other is just as important if not more than our physical needs. Graciously he cares and provides for them both! 

Try this:

• Thank God for His daily provision in your life.

• Ask for a heart of gratitude rather than worry.

• Reflect on any grudges or unforgiveness you may be holding—ask God to help you forgive as He forgives you.

Let’s pray together, Lord, thank You for providing everything I need today. Help me to trust You for tomorrow. Give me a heart that forgives, just as You have forgiven me. Amen.

Remember Jesus loves you and so do I 

Pastor Will 

We continue reinforcing the idea of praying with all our souls today. We focus on How Jesus taught us to pray as a model for our surrendered hearts.

Jesus gives us a pattern of prayer—not just words to recite, but a model to follow. The first part of this prayer focuses on honoring God and surrendering to His will. When we pray with all our soul, we align our hearts with God’s kingdom.

Let’s pray together Father, Your name is holy, and Your ways are higher than mine. I surrender my plans and desires to You today. Let Your will be done in my life, as it is in heaven. Amen.

Remember, Jesus loves you sand so do I 

Pastor Will

We continue this week’s devotions on praying with all our souls. Today we will be in Matthew 6:6-7 and our focus will be on experiencing “The Power of Faith in Prayer”. 

Matthew 6:7-8
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

As we learned Sunday, God is not impressed by lengthy, repetitive prayers—He desires faith-filled prayers. Jesus reminds us that God already knows our needs. We don’t have to convince Him to listen; He is already paying attention. This reminds me of the Old Testament prophet Elijah when he defeated the prophets of Baal. In 1 Kings 18:20-40. It was 450 prophets versus 1, and the odds were against him, but God knew what he was facing, and God came through in a big way, the Lord demonstrated a powerful miracle before Elijah and the 450 prophets and brought fire down from heaven to show his acceptance of Elijah’s sacrifice, ultimately showing that He was real,  and listening and more than able to come through for Elijah in his time of need. Elijah had so much faith that God was listening to his prayers that he made it impossible for his sacrifice to be accepted by anyone else other than God. Take some time today to read it, it will surely bolster your faith and reinforce the truth that God knows what you need even before you ask him. 

Try this  

• Instead of focusing on how long or eloquent your prayers are, simply pray from your heart.
• Trust that God knows and cares about your needs.
• Reflect on a time when God answered a prayer, even before you asked.

Let’s pray together, Lord, thank You for knowing my heart even before I speak. Help me to trust You completely like the prophet Elijah did, praying with confidence, not worry. Strengthen my faith to believe that You hear and answer. Amen.

And always remember 

Jesus loves you and so do I

Pastor Will

Hey Advent Family.

This week’s devotional will be a deeper dive into this weekend’s message which I encourage you to listen to on our YouTube channel or our Facebook if you didn’t get a chance to be here in person. Let’s look deeper at praying with all your soul.

Matthew 6:5-6

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Jesus teaches that prayer is not about impressing others but about intimacy with God. The Pharisees prayed for show, but true prayer happens in a place of humility and sincerity. When we pray with all our soul, we seek God’s presence, not human recognition. When Jesus says that you should go to your “closet”, it not only means doing it in secret, it also has another meaning, in the Greek the word for closet was used for an innermost room, a storeroom where you would store your most valuables in your home.  The concept of intimacy with God also hits home when you realize that those hearing these words in Jesus’ day would have understood that Jesus was also alluding to how valuable this intimate time with God is. The reward we get in prayer is a rich and valuable time with our heavenly Father!

Try this

• Find a quiet place today to pray without distractions.
• Focus on talking to God, don’t worry about how you sound, He already does. 
• Ask yourself: Why am I praying? It is to check off a list? Or is it to spend intimate time with my heavenly Father? 

Let’s Pray together:  Father, help me to pray with sincerity, not for attention. Let my heart long for Your presence and not the approval of others. Teach me to pray with all my heart, mind and soul. And let me relish in the valuable riches of spending intimate time with you. In Jesus name Amen.

And don’t forget,

Jesus Loves you, and so do I

Pastor Will

Muhammad Ali was known for being the greatest boxer of all time—but let’s be honest, he was just as famous for his words as for his punches. “I’m so fast, when I turn off the light, I’m in bed before the room is dark!” or “I float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!” He boasted constantly, but it was funny, confident, and oddly charming. That’s why people loved him—he was bold and didn’t hold back.

But let me ask you—what do you boast about? Is it your grades? Your body? Your car? Your social media following? Your talents? Listen, those things aren’t bad. Achieving something you’re proud of is great! But in the grand scheme of eternity… they vanish in an instant. God told Jeremiah something powerful: “Don’t boast about your wisdom, strength, or riches. Boast that you know Me.” Let that sink in. The Creator of the universe—the God who breathed stars into existence—says the greatest thing you can brag about is knowing Him. Not just knowing about Him—but actually knowing Him.

Here’s the reality: your accomplishments will fade. Your body won’t always be strong, your money can disappear, and people’s applause will quiet down. But God’s kindness, justice, and righteousness last forever. He’s the One who gives, takes, restores, and reigns. When you stand before Him one day, He won’t ask about your followers, trophies, or bank account. He’ll ask, “Did you know Me?”

So here’s the challenge: What’s the loudest boast in your life? Is it about things that won’t last, or about a relationship with the God who never ends? Boast in Him. Love Him more than your success. Brag about His goodness, His faithfulness, and His mercy—because that’s a boast that will echo into eternity.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” — Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

Have you ever met someone who thinks they’ve got life completely figured out? (I’m being sarcastic here.) You know the type—the person whose opinion is always “right” and whose experience somehow trumps yours, even if you’re the expert. Yeah… it’s frustrating. But honestly? We’re often that person. We act like our perspective is the ultimate truth, don’t we? In today’s culture, phrases like “live your truth” or “I wouldn’t do that, so why would God?” get tossed around like they’re biblical wisdom. But let me be clear: If you find yourself disagreeing with Scripture, the issue isn’t with God’s Word—it’s with you.

As a youth pastor, I hear it all the time. Students wrestling with hard truths in the Bible, saying things like, “Well, I just don’t feel like God would do that,” or “That doesn’t fit with what culture says is right.” And honestly? Feelings aren’t the standard—God’s Word is. Truth doesn’t shift with trends or emotions. Imagine trying to argue with the Creator of the universe—the One who spoke the cosmos into existence, crafted the human brain, designed ecosystems with insane complexity, and oversees mysteries we haven’t even discovered in the depths of the ocean or the vastness of space. The Sun is 91.9 million miles away from Earth, and God says that’s how much higher His thoughts are than ours. Yet we still think we know better? We’ve been alive for, what—15, 25, maybe 80 years? God’s been around forever. Who really knows best here?

So here’s the challenge: Humble yourself. Stop trying to squeeze God into the mold of your opinions. Submit to the authority of His Word, even when it’s uncomfortable. Trust that His ways—though higher and sometimes beyond your understanding—are infinitely better than yours. God isn’t asking for your agreement; He’s asking for your surrender.

Imagine driving full speed into a brick wall, convinced you’re going the right way. You keep hitting it, frustrated, bruised, ignoring the open door just a few feet away. It sounds ridiculous, but how often do we do this with God? We face closed doors, setbacks, or redirections, yet stubbornly insist on our own way. Jonah is a perfect example. God called him to go to Nineveh, but Jonah ran in the opposite direction, thinking he knew better. His refusal led him into a storm, overboard, and inside the belly of a fish. It took darkness and desperation to break through his stubbornness. Even after obeying, Jonah was angry when God showed mercy to Nineveh—revealing that stubbornness isn’t just about what we do; it’s about the posture of our hearts. Through it all, God patiently pursued Jonah, gently asking, “Is it right for you to be angry?” God isn’t threatened by our resistance—He lovingly works to soften our hardened hearts and steer us back toward His best.

“But Jesus replied, ‘My Father is always working, and so am I.” –  John 5:17 (NLT)

Do you always feel stressed? overwhelmed? Exhausted? I found myself walking to work thinking about how this is normalized and how Jesus never handled life’s problems this way so why should we? Like Bruce Lee said “Water never resists, it flows.” It moves around obstacles, fills empty spaces, and adapts to whatever it encounters without losing its essence. Jesus lived like water. He was never hurried, never caught off guard, never rattled by interruptions. He embraced problems as opportunities, disruptions as divine appointments, and difficulties as part of the Father’s will.

Most of us do the opposite. We fight interruptions, resent problems, and become agitated when things don’t go according to plan. But what if we truly believed that every problem is under the Father’s watchful care, every obstacle is met with the Spirit’s power, and every challenge is carried to the Father by Jesus Himself? Would we still panic? Would we still resist?

Jesus walked with the confidence that His Father was watching, the Spirit was guiding, and heaven was interceding. When storms arose, He slept (Mark 4:38). When crowds pressed in, He remained present (Mark 5:30). When His plans were disrupted, He saw divine purpose instead of frustration (Luke 8:40-56). He welcomed interruptions because He never saw them as interruptions—only as part of the Father’s plan.

Most of our exhaustion does not come from the work we do, but from the tension between our expectations and God’s reality. We get upset because life does not unfold according to our preferences. But a surrendered heart lets go of control, welcomes interruptions, and trusts that God is working in every detail.

What if today, instead of resisting, you flowed like water? What if you saw interruptions as divine assignments, problems as refining tools, and delays as God’s protection? The Father watches you. The Spirit empowers you. And Jesus intercedes for you. There is nothing to fear.

— 1 Peter 5:2-3 (NLT)

God has never called His people to idleness. Many believers spend their lives searching for a calling, waiting for some grand assignment from heaven, all the while neglecting the ministry already before them. Your mission field is not in some distant land—it is wherever God has placed you today.

If you are a manager, your employees are your flock. If you are a teacher, your students are your ministry. If you are a parent, your children are your disciples. The place where you work, serve, and interact with others is where God intends you to be His witness. But do you serve willingly, or do you carry your responsibilities as a burden?

Peter warns against leading for personal gain or recognition. The world chases titles, influence, and power, but the kingdom of God is built by those who serve out of eagerness, not obligation. Many misunderstand leadership as authority over people, yet Christ calls us to lead by example, not by dominance. Are you living in such a way that your life makes Christ attractive to those around you?

Perhaps you are waiting for God to give you something greater before you serve wholeheartedly. But God is not preparing you for ministry—this is your ministry. The circumstances, job, and people in your life are not accidents. They are entrusted to you by God, and He is watching how you care for them.

Do not despise the small things. It is in the daily faithfulness, the quiet obedience, and the unnoticed acts of integrity that God shapes His servants. Live honorably before non-believers, not seeking your own gain, but reflecting Christ in every interaction. Speak when He prompts you, encourage the weary, and challenge the complacent. Most of all, pray for those entrusted to you.

You do not need a pulpit to preach—your life is the sermon.