The Call

This week's blog was inspired by the scripture passage used in the message Sunday morning. 

If you want to hear the message:

Victory Baptist Church 7/20/2025 Jesse Sowa

Jeremiah was called BEFORE he was born.

📖 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.  Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” Jeremiah 4:1-10

What purpose was placed on you before you were born?

Boy, that seems like a daunting question! 

We have the same response as Jeremiah...I am NOT up to the task!

There are moments in our lives when we know.

📖  For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

For such a time as this. I am here, now, for this reason. 

But other times we wonder...God what am I doing here...I am helpless in this situation. Why am I in the middle of THIS.

I know God shows us. 

But I know also, that God knew us, formed us and CALLS US to Himself.

📖For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place,

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;

all the days ordained for me were written in your book

before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:13-16

If for no other reason than to accept His love, His Son and to follow Him.

In that journey we may then see other purposes and "calls" upon our lives.

So rather than overwhelm ourselves with "what purpose am I here for"

Focus on these words from Jesus

📖 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40

And remember, Jeremiah felt unworthy and God touched his lips and GAVE him the words.

We ARE unworthy but Christ will give us what we need to accomplish what is before us.

🙏🏼 Our Gracious Creator, I pray today, that You speak to the hearts of those seeking You right now.  Draw them to You. Fill their heart, soul and mind with love for You so that it overflows onto all they come in contact with. Amen❤️

When the Well Runs Dry

 What do you do when the well runs dry?

When you lift the bucket and it is empty? You turn the tap and there is nothing?

Well, you try and figure out if it is a bad pressure switch or a bad pump or the well itself has run dry. Something isn't working right to allow very important water to flow. 

How about in our spiritual life? Do we feel we cry out and there is nothing flowing? We fall to our knees yet we feel that things are empty?

We need to check things. 

Have we been filling the well with the Water that will never run dry?

📖  On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”  John 7:37-38

First of all coming to Jesus, accepting Him for who is is and what He has done for each of us. 

Then

Reading, listening, learning, communicating, desiring Him to reveal Himself to you.

📖  And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirst. Revelation 21:6

In those time we feel the well has run dry, we feel there is nothing to even draw water with..we just have to ask THE Living Water to fill us up. 

📖Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?  Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”John 4:10-14

 

🙏🏼 Lord, no matter how empty we feel today I pray we know we can cry out to You and ask to be filled!  Help us to remember that even if we feel empty we have a well that never runs dry. Thank you! Amen ❤️

Leave it to Him

 Leave it to him;

"to always forget to take out the trash." "To forget the anniversary."

Leave it to her;

"to knock something over at the store." "To hit the curb."

These are negative statements we have heard or even said something similar. 

But I thought about Leave it to HIM...meaning Jesus. And that is what we are to do and it is a very positive statement. 

We ARE to "Leave it..everything...to HIM!

📖 casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 (CSB)

📖“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

We are to trust HIM with ALL of IT!

All our cares, anxieties, worries, troubles,  hurts, sadness, fears...the list goes on.

"This is painful and hard." Leave it to Him.

📖 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

"Fear is consuming me, I can not move forward." Leave it to Him

📖   For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment. 2 Timothy 1:7 (CSB)

 📖 Therefore, we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?  Hebrews 13:6 (CSB)

"I can't do this. I am so alone" Leave it to Him.

📖... for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you. Hebrews 13:5b (CSB)

"I have lost faith. I have lost my way." Leave it to Him.

📖  God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Acts 15:8-9

📖   Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 24:6

"The darkness has consumed me." Leave it to Him.

📖 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

"I am not good enough. I am worthless, unsaveable." Leave it to Him

📖 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

🙏🏼

📖  Lord [Your grace] was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. [I am grateful for the]  trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. ❤️ 1 Timothy 1:14-16

Our VBS Journey

 This week is late...but I knew it would be. We just wrapped VBS...and as I have done some years..I am going to share some of the lessons I learned at VBS!

Funny...how life has been going and our theme was God is with us on the Journey!

No matter the detours or the difficulties or even what we have done. He is there, and we just need to turn to Him and He will be our Guide!

📖 The Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1;9

 

Abraham and Sarah were told to pack up and move...with out a destination. Just follow where God told them. Unlike today we can Google any destination and see pictures and read about it, though it would still be a new and maybe unsettling experience. They had nothing for preparation. But they followed and trusted God.

God is with us on the journey

The Israelites went off course. God had a purpose in their 30 years of wandering, He showed them Who He was on their journey.  Even when they made wrong choices He was still with them on their journey.

God is with us when we go off course

Mary went to visit Elizabeth and both were joyful! As was the baby in Elizabeth's womb. 

Joyful because both women were aware of the importance of the child Mary was carrying. 

God is with us when we are joyful 

The old story of the little man who climbed a tree just to get a look at Jesus. A little man in stature, but not in power and wrong doing. But Jesus saw him, called to him and wanted to be in his company.  Zaccheous went to Jesus, brought him to his home and he was changed, never to be the same again!

God is with us when we are lonely

Paul, met Jesus on the Damascus Road and was changed. From a persecutor of Christ followers he became one of the greatest evangelists of his day, traveling wherever God led him and telling everyone about Jesus. He met friends along the way who did the same, telling people about the life changing love of Jesus. 

God is with us near and far.

I need those reminders, sometimes all of them, daily.

🙏🏼Whatever jouney you are on today, whether it is near or far, if you are lonely or joyful or you feel you have wandered far from God....He is with you! I pray you turn towards Him, and He will guide you.❤️

📖  “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7-9

Hospitable Hearts

 Hospitality; the giving of yourself. 

We just had to travel for my daughter's doctor's appointment and will be again in two weeks. We are able to stay with one of my Aunts, (one of many and any one of them would accomidate us, and have!)

She said she "did nothing special" for our arrival, stay and departure.  Not true! While she didn't feel she had done a great amount of prep, the giving of yourself, the opening your heart and sharing what you have IS special!

My other Aunt who shares the home with her wasn't there, but had made sure her bed and room were ready for us....

📖 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.  Romans 12:12-13

Hospitality is mentioned with "gifts" in scripture, but is not listed as a "spiritual gift" specifically,  but I believe the reason for that is that we are ALL called to be hospitable; Giving of yourself, your time, your resources to make another feel comfortable, cared for, satisfied, assisted, loved...is something very special. 

📖 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:8-11

We have heard the term "a hospitable environment" conditions which allow for something to sustain and grow. But the opposite, inhospitable; an environment that is harsh.

Hospitality doesn't mean you are a great hostess of big gatherings or that you throw a great party.

Hospitality is your heart being open to the needs of those around you, and allowing God's love to work through you...your hands, feet, ears, heart. Creating an environment that can put another at ease. 

📖 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:1-2

Hospitality is more about our hearts than our work or our busyness. 

🙏🏼Lord, I pray that each of us allows You to work in us to have hospitable hearts so that we can show hospitality to those You bring our way, in what ever form that may take. Thank you Lord for the hospitality that is shown to us. ❤️

Again

 Again, I don't always like to repeat blogs. AND again, this one was intended to be posted Monday. But it is worth reading again. And it was posted on this date 2 years ago!

CoffeeTime With A Dear Friend.     June 19, 2023

Again and Again and Again...

At church yesterday, Father's Day. we sang a Matt Maher song, Run To the Father. 

As we were singing the chorus struck me

I run to the Father
I fall into grace
I'm done with the hiding
No reason to wait
My heart needs a surgeon
My soul needs a friend
So I'll run to the Father
Again and again

And again and again.    

Songwriters: Cody Jay Carnes / Matt Maher / Ran Matthew Jackson

"Again and again and again and again"

Did you see that?!

The music video shows images of the story of the prodigal son; (If you don't know the story click the link)

Luke 15:11-32

📖 20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 

He went home to the Father....he had hit rock bottom, was broken and humbled and made the move toward his father....but when the father saw him coming to him...he ran to him!

A beautiful visual of how when we get off track or turn from God, He is there, wait waiting for us to turn back to Him. in our broken and humble condition. 

The son comes home, dad throws him a grand party...some issues with a less than humble, jealous brother....but son home safe, wiser, story ends.

But see, ours may not end there....we have run to the Father, fallen into grace, basked in His love;

But then life happens. We have disappointment, we have tragedy, we have hurt and pain...and we find ourselves way down the road again, sometimes around the corner or even in the next town!  When we finally stop and fall on our knees we realize we have gotten farther away from our Father than intended...we realize we need to run back to the Father again!

And in my life, again and again!

📖 Surrender your heart to God,
    turn to him in prayer, Job 11:13

"Again and again and again and again" 

Also says to me...He is there always. No matter how many times I wander or stubbornly go MY way....He is waiting for me to turn back, again and again and again and again!

I pray that brings you hope, not discouragement. 

🙏My prayer for you includes Luke 22:32

📖 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 

I pray no matter where you find yourself right now, you

 run to the Father

fall into grace
[be] done with the hiding
No reason to wait
And [your] heart [finds] a surgeon

[your] soul [finds] a friend
 run to the Father
Again and again
And again and again❤️

Listen to this amazing song!

🎵 Run To the Father Matt Maher

Grounding

 Grounding...it seems to be "a thing".  I can't tell you how long it has been around, but theoretically forever, as long as people have walked barefoot on the earth. 

"Grounding, is a practice where your body makes contact with the Earth's surface, like walking barefoot or using grounding devices. The theory is that this contact helps your body connect with the Earth's electrical charge, potentially reducing inflammation and pain."

It has become something in myrealm as some family are trying it.

But, you know me...and my mind!

Grounding is fundamental as a Christian. 

Grounded in our faith, rooted in our relationship 

with Christ.

Jesus told stories, parables, to help His followers

understand the importance of grounding their faith.

📖 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”   Mathew 7:24-27

📖  “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:  When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.  The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.  The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.  But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:18-23 (NIV)

 Faith in Christ, the Son of God.

We are to be grounded, established, rooted in Jesus teachings 

📖 So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him,  being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude. Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ. Colossians 2:6-8 (CSB)

Remaining grounded is what gives us strength and hope.

📖   Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds because of your evil actions.  But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him— if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.  Colossians 1 HCSB

Spending our time in His word, and in communication with Him everyday will help keep us grounded in our Source, our Foundation. 

🙏🏼

📖 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,  to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. ❤️ Ephesians 3:14-21 (NKJV)