Author: Pastor Bailey

“[Zacchaeus] ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.” (Luke 19:4) Earlier this month, we read about Gideon, who was called out from under a tree to serve God in a special role (Judges 6). In this story, another unlikely man is called — but, in this…

“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)…

“So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.” (Genesis 32:24) Why would God let someone wrestle with Him? Because wrestling requires close contact. Jacob was a self-made man with an independent attitude that said, “I don’t need anybody but myself.” How long will God wrestle with you? Only for a…

“As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.” (Psalms 84:6) If you were raised in a culture where any show of emotion was considered a sign of weakness, you must learn that grieving your losses is a healthy process —…

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” (Isaiah 11:1) Isaiah was speaking to a culture with conflicted values. In some ways it was like our culture today, in which people might gather for worship but are not really interested in living for God. Many…

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) The word worry comes from a Greek word meaning “to divide the mind”. Worry splits you right down the middle; instead of dwelling on God’s promises, you dwell on your problems. Worry is like…

“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” (Psalms 27:13) When you choose to see things from God’s perspective, it changes how you feel. The only thing keeping your old negative feelings in place is your thinking. “As he thinketh in his heart,…

“Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’” (Mark 10:48) Try to imagine being blind all your life, then one day miraculously receiving your sight. And the first face you see — is the face of Jesus! That’s what happened to…