Category Archives: Inspiration

Posted on

Trusting God’s Timing

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

You don’t have to make it happen, God will just make it happen! 

Yes we are called to be faithful, obedient, good stewards and excellent in all that we do, but we are not called to force things, promote ourselves or worry. We are called to humbly serve and watch God promote us, take care of us and lift us up at the appointed time.

It’s easy to get caught up in wanting things to happen overnight, we live in a culture that is saturated with selfishness and a feeling of entitlement that says, “I should get what I want and I should’ve had it yesterday!” Resist this narcissistic influence of our culture and boldly humble yourself before your God. He will lift you up, he will exalt you in due time and it will be worth the wait, because it’s in the waiting that he is developing you and preparing you to have greater influence both far and wide!

Be encouraged and keep serving the Lord with joy and humility, it’s all going to be worth it my friends! Give him your worry and concern about your bills, needs, health, relationships, dreams and destiny. He loves you and he is working on your behalf even when you can’t see it.

Be encouraged!

-John

Posted on

Breakthrough is Coming!

A little over a year ago we were visiting Florida looking into the position at Heritage and vacationing with my parents in Orlando and Sebastian. While we were all in their pool Josiah slipped off the bottom step in the pool and went under! We didn’t see it and it was so silent that we didn’t hear it either. We were all talking in the pool when my mom pointed in terror towards his direction and screamed. I turned and froze, for a moment it was as if I was paralyzed in fear and disbelief. I saw my son underwater motionless!

I broke free and ran to him immediately picking him up, I was so relieved to hear him cough and never so happy to hear him cry. It scared us all that in just 20-30 seconds something so scary could happen and someone so special to us could have been gone! Well, ever since this event Josiah has been terrified of water (and I can understand why).

Shortly after this happened we took him to swim lessons and let’s just say those lessons took a year off my life (not really but I think you get my drift). He screamed and cried everyday for the entire 30 minutes of the lesson – it was exhausting! Time to time Emily and I would try to encourage him to practice with us or move past his fear and try to swim over this past year but with no success. He would only go waist deep into the ocean and cling to us or the walls of the pool.

Well, this week we tried again (this time without us being around). We put both Josiah and Micah in swim lessons dropping them off in the water with their instructors. As we walked out of sight we continued to hear Josiah scream and cry. We could hear and see him but he couldn’t hear or see us. We heard him cry for 30 minutes straight but then something amazing happened…he stopped!

We listened and heard nothing we looked and we saw something simply beautiful, Josiah was learning how to swim in his instructors arms smiling and laughing! I was almost in disbelief! Yes, I had been praying for a long time that God would break the spirit of fear over my son. Yes, I was believing he would learn how to swim and have fun doing it! But it happened at an unexpected moment and brought my wife and I so much joy, comfort and peace! Josiah had a blast all week and was sad for his swim lessons to end. This my friends was a BREAKTHROUGH!

I say all that to say this: Keep praying, keep persisting and keep believing! Your breakthrough is closer than you think and may just happen at a moment you don’t expect!

Blessings,

John

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” Isaiah 60:1

Posted on

Why We Are Here

Do you ever wonder why you are here on the earth? I used to ask this question often (even when I knew the answer). It was as if I needed affirmation or assurance. So whether you know or you don’t I hope this brief word encourages you today!

WE ARE HERE TO GLORIFY GOD AND ENJOY HIM FOREVER!

That’s it! Sure there are many other things associated with this but this is our greatest calling and our highest purpose! So, how do we glorify God? Jesus tells us in John 15:8, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.”

First, most of John 15 is all about knowing God intimately, God invites us to a close AND growing relationship with him! And THROUGH this relationship with him we produce fruit! What kind of fruit? Well two kinds:

  1. The fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, etc…
  2. The fruit of influence in peoples lives

I must be clear about these: THEY ARE BOTH BY-PRODUCTS!

So, all of our focus in life should be to enjoy God! That’s it! Enjoy our relationship with him and obey the promptings he puts on our hearts for when we do this we will be walking in love, joy and peace and we will be influencing peoples lives all around us!

Enjoy God today!

~John

Posted on

Renew Your Mind

Featured Video Play Icon

I think we all do it, I think we all allow negative thoughts to sneak into our hearts, our words and our relationships. It’s so easy to make judgements from our past experiences which then form our beliefs which often become so ingrained in us that they become strongholds!

If you want to stop allowing negative thoughts that you’ve developed in your past affect your present & future then this message is for you! Enjoy healthier relationships today! It starts with you and it starts with renewing your mind!

Blessings,

~John

“Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Romans 12:2

Click here to watch 20 minute message: https://youtu.be/nLTLodCXLZU

Posted on

Living Out Of A New Reality

“Cast all your cares upon the Lord and he will sustain you.” Psalm 55:22

This is the key that keeps us from being overwhelmed and gives us strength. In just one day so many different things may occupy our thoughts, worry and stress may try to have their way but when we choose to cast our cares upon the Lord they have no power over us.

And no matter what you and I face we can rise up in faith and live free from the cares of life.

Yes we all go through very serious things and have to make some tough decisions but when we choose to stay in faith and cast our cares upon the Lord we are blessed! We are free from worry and stress and we are living out of the reality that God invites us to live out of – as his children!

So let us be like little children today and allow our Father to take care of our cares. Ahh, can you feel the weight on your shoulders lift?! Do you sense his peace and joy filling your heart and mind even now?! He is so good to his children and he will sustain us so let us continue to cast our cares upon Him today for he really does cares for us!

Blessings,

John