Author: Pastor Bailey

“We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going.” (2 Corinthians 4:9, TLB) If you’ve ever been at a race, then you’ve heard spectators shout, “Keep going!” to motivate the athletes. That’s also great advice for anyone who feels emotionally, mentally, or spiritually exhausted from running the marathon of life: Keep going!…

“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow.” (1 Thessalonians 3:12) One of America’s most successful telephone companies created a TV advertisement using the slogan, “Can you hear me now?” It shows a man talking on the phone, but the person on the other end can’t hear him. So, he repeatedly asks, “Can you…

“Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.” (Galatians 4:28) If the only way we could have a good relationship with God was by achieving or accomplishing certain things, we’d never be able to be completely comfortable about his return at the end of this world, our having eternal life with him,…

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Have you ever wished that you could have a do-over? Or maybe that you could turn back time and start over? Regret is one of the worst feelings in the world. And most…

“Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires … be made new in the attitude of your minds; and … put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24, NIV) If you want to have lasting change in your life, you have…

“[God] planned to bring all of history to its goal in Christ. Then Christ would be the head of everything in heaven and on earth.” (Ephesians 1:10, GW) Goal setting isn’t just a good idea for productivity. It’s a spiritual discipline, like prayer, fasting, giving, and reading your Bible. In fact, goal setting can be…

“Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12) This psalm contrasts the permanence of God, “You have been our dwelling place before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (verses 1 and 2), with the frailty…

“A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful.” (Proverbs 28:13, TLB) We usually think of failure as negative. But wise people know how to take advantage of failure. They learn from it. They use it as an education. One of your purposes in life is to become more like Jesus Christ.…

“[God] knows what we are made of; he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14, GNT) For some, after Christmas life settles back into the routines, messes, and things pushed down the road to deal with later events. And, the Christmas bills start coming due. Yikes! Your failures don’t surprise God. He expects them. He…