The FEC Daily

Good morning!

I hope you all enjoyed a fun and restful holiday weekend! It doesn’t seem like we should already be in September… Where has the year gone?

As most of you know, our fiscal year ends September 30. Due to the responsibilities that are unique to this time of year, we are going to postpone our devotional blogs until October 7^th. Our goal is to maintain the quality of these blogs, and we feel it’s best to postpone in order to do so. 

We encourage you to continue diving deep into God’s word! As Hebrews 4:12 states, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” Praise the Lord for His word!

-Taylor

Matthew 10:32-33

32 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

Good morning! I trust that today’s passage will inspire you to stand firm in your relationship with Christ and boldly share the good news of the gospel.

Social media has taken the spotlight in modern-day society as it has become a huge platform for sharing about Jesus that prior generations did not have access to. I often see people posting something like “Share or Like if you love Jesus” and even quoting this verse exactly in an attempt to let people know they are Christian while the rest of their profile and lifestyle say the exact opposite. It aligns with Jesus’ words in Matthew 15:8-9: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” We can’t just say “I love Jesus” in a shallow attempt to try to secure a spot in heaven. God is looking at your heart, and he knows if it is his or not. 

 Although we should be very open about our faith as we walk through this life and on social media, it must be so much more than a one-time confession or clicking the Facebook button to acknowledge Christ before others. Acknowledging Christ publicly should mean that your actions line up with God’s word, showing the world you live for Christ, not just telling them. Romans 12:2-8 reminds us that we should look different than the people who love the world, not just talk differently but look different by how we conduct ourselves. This is how we truly confess Christ before others publicly, and in return, he will acknowledge us before our Father in heaven! 

Does your life proclaim that Jesus is Lord? Do your actions line up with God’s word for the world to see, or is it just all talk? We only have a certain amount of time to proclaim that Jesus is Lord; let us do it with our whole lives, not just our lips! Be a light unto the world as Christ called us to do! 

– Tyler 

Matt 10:16-22 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; ²⁰ for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. ²¹ “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. ²² And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

All of us are at our best when we strive to be both wise as serpents and harmless as doves. We are living in a more hostile time to Christianity and it requires great wisdom of us and the ability to speak and act without causing unnecessary offense to people we are trying to reach out to. It is a worthy balance to find.

Two things are still very true today concerning what Jesus told His followers to expect on their first mission trip. The first being we should expect Opposition today as Christians. Jesus disciples did as they went on this mission trip. People will as well on a world-wide scale during the great tribulation period. Opposition in Jesus time on this earth came from and still today comes from the government, religion and family. Currently in many parts of the world Christians face horrible persecution. While we as Christians are blessed to live in America even in this great land we face much more opposition in our country than at any time I can remember in my lifetime. I fear it will get worse unless we have revival.

The second thing that is still true today is the opposition we face leads to an Opportunity to represent our Christ. Jesus told His followers they would be brought before kings, governors and Gentiles as a testimony to them. He assured His disciples the Holy Spirit would give them what they needed to say at that time. Rest assured this is still true today. It is our blessing and privilege to view opposition more as an opportunity than a burden.

Jesus concluded our passage in Matt 10:22 with these words “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” What a great promise. When we view Opposition as an Opportunity and endure it to the very end we will be privileged to be known as Overcomers in Christ Jesus.

May God give all of us the grace to see Opposition as an Opportunity to shine for the Lord Jesus Christ!

Love all of you!

Tim

Matthew 10:5-8

5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons?

Good morning! I hope you are all doing well and have enjoyed some of this cooler weather we have had the last few mornings. Bring on all things fall!

As we start our week together, I want to ask a question… do you ever feel intimidated to share your faith? Maybe you have an opportunity at work or at your child’s sporting events, but when the time comes, you get nervous? Maybe you feel unqualified? You feel you don’t know the right things to say?

First, don’t beat yourself up… We’ve all been there! But more importantly, I hope this morning’s devotional serves as an encouragement to dive in and begin to share your faith without fear.

In today’s passage, we see the 1st mission trip. I bet these twelve had a few butterflies. They were literally going into the unknown while preaching a new message to a stubborn crowd. And though the message they were commanded to share was specific to a specific group of people, there is a truth we can take away from the passage that will encourage you for the next time you share your faith.

Check this out… Jesus told them what to say and do! Isn’t this encouraging?

I’ve often felt like I never have the right words to say at the right time. Ever been there? Many of us have… Remember Moses? The guy that helped lead an entire nation out of Egyptian slavery… The guy that wrote the first five books of the Bible? Yeah that’s the Moses I’m talking about. When he was first tasked to confront Pharaoh, he had the same fear… let’s just say words were not his forte! But God reminded him that He would give him the right words at the right time. And He did…

Today’s passage is a reminder that we should trust Jesus to give us the right words for the right time. Also, you have a message you can share too! If you’re a follower of Jesus, you have a testimony that is specific to you. If you feel like you are struggling for the right words to share when witnessing to a friend, just simply share what God has done in your life and trust Him for the rest!

Wherever the Lord takes you today, and whomever He brings across your path, I pray you share your faith without fear and trust Him to give you the words!

-Taylor

Matthew 9:37-38
37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

When a crop is ready for harvest, the window of opportunity to harvest is often short, and immediate action is necessary to gather the goods before they spoil. As Christians, we need to realize the urgency of this task, for only during our time here on earth will there be a harvest.

In this passage, Jesus is revealing the truth of the kingdom of heaven and explaining the way He does through parables and ways we can understand. The great harvest that Jesus is talking about is people who live in sin apart from him. There is a great number of people who are dead in their sins and who are in dire need of the truth of the gospel and what Jesus has done for them on the cross. Many know many people who need to repent and believe in the gospel. As Christians, our role in this mission is crucial. We are the ones who should be sharing the truth about Jesus, but we often make excuses or claim to be ‘too busy’ to take the time to work the harvest. This shows where our priorities lie and what we truly believe.

The problem isn’t that there aren’t people to share the gospel with; we encounter lost people daily. The issue is that few people are willing to go into the field and tell the world about the King and his Kingdom. We need to understand the urgency that one day, there will be no more harvest, and we have here and now to gather as many people as we can for the kingdom of God before the door of opportunity closes.

If we know and believe that a King and a Kingdom are coming, yet we don’t take action to tell others, we are wasting precious time and opportunities to be a worker of the harvest, saving souls for Christ. Are you laboring in God’s harvest? If you were to look at the resume of your life, would it say worker of the harvest? If not, it’s time to make the change and take the opportunity in this life while you have it to make a difference in the kingdom of God.

• Tyler

Matt 9:27-31 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” ²⁸ When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and He asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. ²⁹ Then He touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you;” ³⁰ and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” ³¹But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

Taylor and I had breakfast yesterday with a group of men who love the Lord that we respect a great deal. It was an encouraging time. We heard a powerful testimony of God faithfulness during a recent health emergency. The man who shared truly experienced God’s touch. This passage today from God’s Word is another great account of the miracle power Jesus displayed while He walked this earth.

I love that these two blind men followed Jesus and kept calling out to Him for mercy. How challenging it must have been for two blind men to follow Jesus as He walked from one place to the other, especially, as he went from the outside to the inside of someone’s house. It leads me to believe they had help from friends as they made their way. Let’s be friends like this to people in our world who need help getting to the Lord. We cannot do for people what Christ can do in them and for them, but we can be people Jesus uses to help others on their way to the Lord.

The men answered yes when asked by Jesus if they believed He could do this miracle. Our passage goes on to tell us Jesus then touched their eyes and their sight was restored. What a miracle! These two men went from not being able to see Anything to being able to see Everything! Isn’t that the difference Christ still makes in our hearts and lives today? When Jesus comes into our heart, He gives us the ability to see things we did not used to see and helps us to see all things in the correct way.

It is what Jesus said in between touching the eyes of the blind men and their sight being restored that really jumps out at me. Christ said these significant words, “According to your faith let it be done to you.” We serve a mighty God who is able for any need or problem. Let’s strive to be people of faith who believe there is nothing too hard for our God. Let’s believe Him for big things. I do not want to miss out on anything Christ has for me, my loved ones and my church family because of unbelief. I know you feel the same. Trust God. He is able for whatever you are going through right now.

Tim

Matthew 9:18-26
18 While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. 20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. 23 And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went through all that district.

Some of my favorite testimonies to hear is when God does the unimaginable and the only way we can explain it is through the lens of faith. I have seen this several times in my life… someone gets a difficult diagnosis, a group of people bring it to the Lord in a prayer, believing He is going to heal them, and then…. they’re healed, leaving the Doctors recognizing this is a miracle!

This is what we’re seeing in today’s passage…. a prayer for a miracle and a miracle they get!

Notice, the two people who experienced the miracles. First, we see a leader of the synagogue, a highly respected member of society. The other one, not so much… it was a lady that was viewed as unclean and because of her condition, she had become an outcast. However, Jesus isn’t interested in their status… He doesn’t discriminate based on their status or situation; instead, He’s more interested in their faith.

Though their outward circumstances and personal demeanor are the opposite of each other, their core issue is the same: they are both in a state of desperation, no where else to turn! One has just lost a child and the other has exhausted all of her resources looking for a cure. What else do they have in common? Faith that Jesus can deliver them from their desperate concerns. What happens next? They act in bold ways to find their deliverance! They approach Jesus with faith and believe that He can and will answer their prayers!

There is so much we could unpack in this passage, but I want to spend our time together with a challenge to simply pray and expect God to move! If your prayer is for rain, you may want to wear your rain boots… if your prayer is for patience…. well, you know where this is headed…

Does this mean God will always answer in the way we want? No… but I believe God wants us to trust Him with our prayers! We should approach Him believing He can and will bring them to fruition if He so desires!

So again, as you go throughout the week, pray for the unimaginable! Ask God to do the things only He can do! I can only imagine what we will begin to experience!

-Taylor

Matthew 9:16-17 

16 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before. 17 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”

Good morning! I hope this message helps kick-start your day toward Jesus in a reminder of who our God is! 

In today’s passage, we see Jesus speaking in riddle-like parables, as he often does. He challenges us to think deeply about his teachings and understand the kingdom of God correctly. Here, he contrasts the new covenant established through Him with the old one they live by. He is not abolishing this old covenant but rather fulfilling it (Matthew 5:17). Through Him fulfilling it, he is teaching us a new way of doing things, and that is not through joining to the old system of righteousness based on external rule-following, it is through following him and being transformed from the inside out. Jesus did not come to mend here and there. He came to make all things new (Revelation 21:5). Both verses here show us that we must be made new to be righteous before God!

Sadly, in today’s world, many people have only tried to “patchwork” in their spiritual lives, and Jesus shows us this is not how it works. The result is lukewarm people whose scars have not been healed because they would never fully let go of what was broken to obtain what is new. We don’t get to stamp “Follower of Jesus” on our lives without letting go of our old ways. We can’t bring this new life in Christ alongside a life of sin or legalistic ways. It doesn’t work that way, and we will tear and rip apart and remain broken, just as these parables teach. We must look at our lives, see that we are broken, see that we need to make room for “new wine,” and put off the old, leave it in the past, and put on the new! Then we can stand rightly before God, unbroken and made new, and be used as God intended to serve in the body of Christ.

If there is anything in your life that is holding you back from coming to Jesus or growing closer to Him, I encourage you to let it go. Fix your eyes on Jesus and let Him renew your life as you live for Him. Don’t cling to this broken world when God has something new and better for you. Let go of whatever is holding you back and pursue Jesus.

– Tyler 

Matt 9:12-13 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ^{” 13} But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Most of my life I did not feel like I needed to go to a doctor unless I was really sick. I ate pretty healthy food, exercised, in general tried to take care of my body and was blessed with good health for most of my years. That was my BC life…Before Cancer life. This past, coming up on two years, has confirmed what a treasure good doctors are when one is really sick. What Jesus said is so true. When we are really sick we get in to see a doctor as soon as we can.

At some point after Matthew was called by Jesus, he decided to invite his former tax collector colleagues and other lost people over to his house for a meal. Matthew also invited Jesus and the other disciples. Our blog picks up where Jesus is answering the question the Pharisees asked of His disciples as to why He is eating with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus’ response in verse 12 was clear and to the point, “…Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Christ concluded His answer in verse 13 “…For I did not come to call the righteous, but, sinners, to repentance.” In essence, well people do not need a doctor, sick people do and I came to call the lost to repentance, not those who think they are already righteous. What a mic drop answer!

Our passage today reminds us there is a bigger healing we need than physical healing. This was and still is good news. Jesus came to this earth to address our biggest need, that being our “sin” sickness. The further good news is Jesus was and still is willing to meet lost people right where they are just as He did at Matthew’s house. As I shared last week, Jesus came to SEEK and to SAVE. Long before we knew we needed a “doctor” Jesus came seeking us. Praise the Lord He still makes house calls today!

I want to encourage all of us to follow Jesus’ example and be willing to go where hurting and lost people are. Ask God to help you to be a good witness to those in your place of influence who so desperately need to know our God. May God help us to see lost people as worthy of our time and able to be redeemed by God and His grace. Jesus did, therefore, we should as well.

Tim

Matthew 9:8 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed Him.

Good morning!

As I mentioned during this week’s message, yesterday marked 10 years since Amanda and I came to serve on staff at FEC. To say it has been a joy would be a huge understatement. I can’t put into words how grateful my family is for the way you love and care for us!

With that said, when I think back on my time in Bible College at TFC, I never would have imagined that I would get to serve at a church in my hometown. It was almost unheard of at TFC for one to do so, and I assumed I would serve outside of Georgia.

I will never forget the stress that searching for a ministry opportunity after college brought me. It was common for students to check the job opportunity board located in one of the buildings at school. Churches from all over the southeast to all the way to the west coast would send in their job descriptions looking for potential candidates for their job openings. I can honestly say if I were looking for a young person in ministry, TFC is a great place to start. It’s a place where young people are trained, equipped, and sent out to do the work of God. Again, it’s a great place to go to school and great place for a church to look for a potential pastor.

However, when we get to Matthew 9, we see Jesus finding one of His followers at the most unlikely of places: a tax booth. In the eyes of many, a tax collector had no place in ministry. They were seen as greedy traitors that used their occupation to pad their own pockets and exploit their fellow Jews. From an outsider looking in, Matthew didn’t seem to meet the qualifications to join Jesus’ team…

But Jesus did what only He can do!

He transformed Matthew from the inside out. Matthew left everything! His career… his financial stability… his protection from Rome… and he became one of the people who wrote a record of our Lord and Savior. Talk about a transition…

As we begin our week, I want to ask you a question… have you ever felt like you couldn’t be used by God? Maybe it’s because of past choices. Maybe it’s because of how you were raised… where you’re from… I’m sure the enemy has told you many more reasons… but I want to remind you that Jesus is the one who can create beauty from ashes… He’s not looking for how much ability you may have. He’s more interested in your availability.

What does it take? Taking a step towards Him and leaving your old life behind! God wants to use you, so go be salt and light wherever He takes you this week!

-Taylor