A Pastor's Thoughts
A Pastors Thoughts for Monday
September 16th, 2024
A Pastor’s Thoughts For Monday…
I heard about a man that went to see his doctor because he was feeling absolutely terrible. The doctor gave him a careful examination, left the room to look at some tests, came back in with a very somber expression on his face, and said: “Sir, I don’t know how to break the news to you, but you have rabies and you’re going to die very soon.” The man very calmly got out a piece of paper and began furiously writing. The doctor said: “What are you doing, making out your will?” He said: “Oh no, I’m writing out a list of people I’m going to bite.”
I’m sure that some of us today have just such a list in the back of our minds in case something like that were to ever happen to us. I’m sure that there are more than a few hearts today that have become fertile fields for the root of bitterness. Perhaps you are thinking: “So, yes I do have someone I’m angry with. So I do have someone I have a grudge against. So there is someone that has done me wrong, and I have never forgiven them. What business is it of yours?”
Well, I will let Dwight L. Moody answer that question. He said: “The one sin that is keeping revival from coming to the church, more lost people from being saved, and more of the blessings of God from coming upon His people, is the sin of an unforgiving spirit. Not every church has a great number of people attending it, and not every church has gigantic budgets. But there is one thing that ought to be in abundance in every church, and that is the spirit of forgiveness.
– Jeff Fannin
A Pastors Thoughts for Sunday
September 15th, 2024
A Pastor’s Thoughts For Sunday…
It is believed by most people that Jesus is necessary. The whole fabric of Christedom is built upon that. But, how few realize that He is enough! You see, it is not Christ and good works, nor Christ and the Church, that save. It is not through Christ and baptism, or Christ and the confessional, that we may obtain the forgiveness of sins. It is not Christ and doing our best, or Christ and the Lord’s Supper, that will give us new life. It is Christ alone!
Christ “and” – is a perverted gospel which is not the gospel. Christ withtout the “and” is the sinner’s hope and the saint’s confidence. Trusting Him – eternal life and forgiveness is yours. Then, and not till then, good works and obedience to all that is written in the Word for the guidance of Christians, falls into place. Sure, the saved soul is exhorted to maintain good works, and to manifest his love for Christ. But for salvation itself, Jesus is not only necessary – He is enough!
– Jeff Fannin
A Pastors Thoughts for Saturday
September 14th, 2024
A Pastor’s Thoughts For Saturday…
Through Jesus Christ, the Lord has created and formed you and me. We are not forgotten. We, too, have been elected and selected to bear God’s creative and redeeming Word to all the world. No more bondage to the forces that separate and humiliate. No more bondage to the power of sin. In Christ is deliverance.
“I have called you by name, you are mine,” says the Lord.” Here God claims us as members of an elite varsity team. No more embarrassed huddling on the sidelines. God has made us members of a vast community that has no boundaries of time or place. We are baptized. We are named and claimed by Christ himself, whose sinless life, sacrificial death, overcoming resurrection, and victorious ascension we celebrate today. Hallelujah!!!
– Jeff Fannin
A Pastors Thoughts for Friday
September 13th, 2024
A Pastor’s Thoughts For Friday…
We seem to always be looking for someone to tell us what we want to hear.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is not like the others who run away when they see how bad things really are, when the wolves start to come, when your life really starts to fall apart, and when the “I’m okay, you’re okay” charade starts to break down. And what does Jesus say? Not, “I am the Good Shepherd, I know what my sheep want to hear.” He says, “I am the Good Shepherd. I lay down my life for the sheep.”
The wolves are real. We feel guilty about all sorts of things in our lives. We have not loved God with our whole hearts; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. These are the wolves that keep coming for us. We look for someone to tell us that these wolves are not really all that bad. “Oh, you’re not a bad person,” they’ll say. “You’re sure better than so-and-so.” And that will make us feel better, until we look over our shoulder and see the pack of wolves just a little bit closer. But then, as things get worse and worse, the ones with the compliments start quitting.
When we do something that makes it impossible for someone to say, “You’re not a bad person,” we find that there’s no one around anyway. No one, that is, except Jesus, who laid down His life for us and loves us more than we could ever imagine.
Hallelujah!!!
– Jeff Fannin
A Pastors Thoughts for Thursday
September 12th, 2024
A Pastor’s Thoughts For Thursday…
The grace of God in Christ lifts us from lostness, forgives us, and puts us on course. The God-intended target in life is being a whole person, an effective person (in relation to others), a quieting of inner conflicts, and a release of inner peace that radiates joy and caring. This eventuates in being a good husband, a good wife, a good parent, a good workman, a good neighbor. The conscious mind and the subconscious mind are brought into God-focus by faith.
My own experience of being dealt with by the grace of God is revealing (though it comes differently to different people). First, there was given the grace of knowledge. I saw myself as I was. I was living in my own way with little awareness of God, with little concern for others. I faced sickness and possible death, and I knew I couldn’t handle it. The truth about myself and life took hold of me and I was miserable.
Second, there was given the grace of struggle. There was so much in me that had to be made right, put on course. I yearned, I struggled and I prayed; I moved forward, I fell back into the abyss. God was not playing games with me. He was letting me be reshaped, reoriented, deep within my subconscious mind. The light and the darkness, how they fought over my soul.
Third, there was given the grace of peace. Where there had been deep, hopeless darkness in my soul, the (apparent) absence of God, the light gradually pushed back, overcame this darkness until I was all light within. It was a glorious gift. I was free, I was unburdened, I was forgiven, I was accepted by God – I was at peace.
Fourth, there was given the grace of changed nature and I was amazed. I knew that now I was determined to do right; but I was surprised to note that now I really desired to do right. Whereas, before, I had liked evil and was bored by goodness; now, I hated evil and was yearning after goodness – I was a new being! Hallelujah!!!
– Jeff Fannin
A Pastors Thoughts for Wednesday
September 11th, 2024
A Pastor’s Thoughts For Wednesday…
We have all heard that God loves us. But I wonder how many really understand how special that love is. Don’t take for granted that little phrase “God loves me.” You see, God’s love is different from human love in that; God’s love is immeasurable. The Lord Jesus Himself told us how much God loves us. If He had not said it Himself, I would not believe it.
Listen to what Jesus said about the love God has for us. “I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (John. 17:23). Did you get that? God loves the saint as much as He loves the Son! Now I want to ask you a question. How can you measure that kind of love? How much does God love Jesus? The fact is, He loves us as much as He loves Him. That means He loves us all equally, and He loves us all completely.
The love God has for us is immeasurable and even a child can know it. Just like the children’s song written so beautifully by Anna B. Warner in 1860 puts it:
Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.
Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Take a moment right now to thank God for His amazing love. Hallelujah!!!
– Jeff Fannin
A Pastors Thoughts for Tuesday
September 10th, 2024
A Pastor’s Thoughts For Tuesday…
There is so much that threatens our peace throughout the day. Whether it’s physical, spiritual, or emotional, we face crises that drain our strength and resources. We only have so much to give, and when it’s gone, what then? When we are depleted of our own means to get by, we need Almighty God to help us to run into His shelter.
Where you are, there is hope. God covers us with compassion as we run to Him. He is our place of safety and refuge; He is not intimidated by the struggles we face. When the arrows fly toward us, He wraps around us, and the arrows are absorbed by His tender mercy. Our God will not let us fail, and won’t let us be overtaken. Hallelujah, He is faithful! The power of His presence surrounds us as we run to Him. Never fear my friend, God is your shield and defender. Run to Him with all your needs today.
– Jeff Fannin
A Pastors Thoughts for Monday
September 9th, 2024
A Pastor’s Thoughts For Monday…
When plans change and the fear of the unknown settles in, we are left with a choice. We can either give into worry or choose to trust our God. We cannot see the way sometimes, and that is okay. We don’t need to know how everything will work out. We just need to trust that our Heavenly Father will protect and guide us in perfect wisdom. When our life is shrouded in the mystery of what the future will bring, we need the Holy Spirit to give us the courage to trust in our our Lord.
We all want to believe that God will work everything out for our good. We know that He leads in love, not by obligation. His affection for us runs deeper than we could ever imagine. Today, let’s lean into His care for us because He sees everything that we cannot. We should truly be grateful to be led by the creator of the Universe. We can take great comfort in the knowledge that nothing is a mystery for our God, nor is any circumstance too much for Him to handle. Encourage your heart to hope in HIs power and ability today…and when you do…fear and anxiety will have to flee. Hallelujah!!!
– Jeff Fannin
A Pastors Thoughts for Sunday
September 8th, 2024
A Pastor’s Thoughts For Sunday…
My friend, God is with you and that is enough! When things in your life are flowing smoothly, it is easy to trust in His sufficiency. However, when you encounter rough patches – one after another – you may sometimes feel that His provision is inadequate. That is when our mind tends to begin to spin: obsessing about ways to make things better. There is nothing wrong with seeking solutions, but problem-solving can turn into an addiction: your mind spinning with so many plans and possibilities that you become confused and exhausted.
To protect yourself from this mental exhaustion, you need to remind yourself that God is always with you. Always taking care of you! It is possible to rejoice in Him and to proclaim His sufficiency even during the most difficult times. There is a supernatural work, empowered by His Holy Spirit who lives in you. It is also a decision that you make, day by day and moment by moment. Choose today to trust Him, and be joyful in your Savior, for He is indeed enough! Hallelujah!!!
– Jeff Fannin
A Pastors Thoughts for Saturday
September 7th, 2024
A Pastor’s Thoughts For Saturday…
In a vivid sense the Bible is a book that is very much alive. It is the Rembrandt of religious experience because it tells life as it really is, with scars and moles and dirt under the fingernails. It chronicles not just the pious events of religious history, but the bitter dregs of failure that lie temporarily at the bottom of everyone’s cup. And well it should. A God that cannot deal with failure is not much of a God. No one lives life without some failure. Everyone stumbles and falls at some point along the road.
There is not a person reading this, if my guess is correct, who does not have at least one person in his or her family, however close or remote, out there trying to find his or her way back from an awful failure. There probably aren’t many people here who don’t number among their family or former friends or teammates, out there trying to find his or her way back from failure. And there will come a time when you will be tempted to give up or quit too soon. My friend there is a God with whom nothing is impossible that believes in you; has a purpose for you; has a plan for you; has a dream for you. So if the Bible says anything to you, it says, “Don’t give up too soon!”
– Jeff Fannin
A Pastors Thoughts for Friday
September 6th, 2024
A Pastor’s Thoughts For Friday…
One time a cowboy decided he should have some insurance, so he contacted an insurance agent. The agent came out to the cowboy”s ranch to ask him a few questions for the application form. “Have you ever had any accidents?” the agent asked. “No,” the cowboy answered. “Are you saying you have never been hurt here on the ranch?” the agent continued. The cowboy thought a minute and then said, “Well, a bronco kicked me in the ribs last summer, and a couple of years ago a rattlesnake bit me on the ankle.” “You wouldn”t call those accidents?” the agent inquired. The cowboy then answered in all seriousness, “No, they did it on purpose.”
You see, life does terrible things to some people. As a matter of fact, life does harsh things to each and every one of us. Somewhere along the road we have to learn how to deal with the harsh facts. Somewhere along the road we are going to have to learn how to handle the rough spots and detours. We must face disappointments, disrupted plans and unrealized dreams. Life is unpredictable.
Now the Bible understands that. The Apostle Paul, writing in his Corinthians letters, reminded his readers that their vision was limited. He said it was like looking through a dark glass. All you have is partial vision. The time would come when everything would be clear, and we would know, as even God now knows us. But the time was not yet. So, we have to place our faith and trust in God with whom nothing is impossible. Remember today, that nothing is going to happen to you that God doesn’t know about. He loves you and will help you through everything you will face in life. Hallelujah!!!
– Jeff Fannin
A Pastors Thoughts for Thursday
September 5th, 2024
A Pastor’s Thoughts For Thursday…
One of the highest tributes that could be paid to anyone is that “he didn’t quit.” Anyone can continue when he is in the spotlight, encouraged by applause. Anyone can keep going as long as he meets with success after success. But for a person to give of his best when the hours are long, the going is tough, the applause is weak, and the chance of success is small, that is a sign of greatness. I can’t think of many things I would rather have said of me at the end of my life than, “In spite of everything, he refused to quit!”
That, in effect, is what the Apostle Paul was able to say about himself when he sensed that his earthly life was coming to a close. He looked back over his life. He thought about the difficulties he had encountered, the temptations he had experienced, the sins he had committed, the disappointments he had suffered. But in spite of all of that, he was able to summarize his life with those magnificent words: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” In other words, “I didn’t quit!” With God we can do all things and we are overcomers! My friend, no matter what you are going through in life right now: Fight a good fight – Finish the race – Keep the faith – and, Do Not Quit!
Prayer: Loving Father, come to us in the silence of this moment and tell us what You want us to do. Help us to give it the priority it deserves. Help us to trust in You as we do it. And then help us to be faithful to the very end and never ever quit. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
– Jeff Fannin
A Pastors Thoughts for Wednesday
September 4th, 2024
A Pastor’s Thoughts For Wednesday…
Many people are wired differently. I’m told that there is a small box at Bell Laboratories. The box has one switch. When you turn the switch on, a skeleton hand comes out, reaches over, and turns itself off. That’s all it does. It’s wired to turn itself off. A lot of people are that way — wired to quit. At the first sight of hardship, at the first hint that this will take time, I’ll just turn myself off. No endurance. It’s just easier to quit
When you are at that quitting point, how do you move forward? How do you break through those quitting points when it would be a whole lot easier just to cash in, walk away, and quit? The answer can be found in three words: “Keep The Faith!” This one is hard, isn’t it? Keeping the faith in the midst of the storm. Keeping your trust even when you think you are walking this path alone. Let me be honest with you, this is difficult. I think of my ministry when the demands are so high and I think, “Am I the right person for this job?” It would be easier to not to finish. It would be easy to lose faith.
Endurance means to fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith. The Apostle Paul always had the end in mind. He wanted the prize. He wrote, “The crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous judge will give me on that great day of his return.” Then he looks right at you and adds, “And the prize is not just for me, but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return.” Don’t quit my friend! Endurance is more than just sticking to it — it’s keeping your eyes on the prize. Hallelujah!!!
– Jeff Fannin
A Pastors Thoughts for Tuesday
September 3rd, 2024
A Pastor’s Thoughts For Tuesday…
God is the Great Physician. He alone heals totally, touching spirit, mind, and body. If there is any healing for humanity’s hurt, it must come, not from man’s side, but from God’s. God alone can give us new hearts. Then from those healthy hearts, rivers of healing flow through body and mind. How do we access that kind of healing? By faith and obedience.
You know, physical healing is not nearly as important as spiritual healing. All physical healing is tentative. The mortality rate is still 100 percent. But there is a kind of healing that transcends our physical deaths. It begins with our spirits being touched by His Spirit. Then that healing impacts our minds and bodies in powerful ways. Faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Savior and Lord. Then obedience to His commands. What wonderful healing we can receive from the Great Physician. Yes my friend, the rivers of His healing are still flowing!
– Jeff Fannin
A Pastors Thoughts for Monday
September 2nd, 2024
Discouragement is an awful thing. Life pulls the rug right from under you, and you have nothing to hold on to. Your confidence is shattered. A sense of well-being is a distant memory. Your motivation has evaporated. Have you ever felt that way?
If you are discouraged today, the worst thing you can do is to try to overcome by sheer will power. The best thing you can do is what the Bible directs us to do: “Wait for the Lord.” Now, this is not a passive, lazy waiting. This is a hopeful waiting, a purposeful waiting. It is a waiting that knows in God’s good time God will provide God’s good answer. This is a waiting that holds on for God’s response. Some call it faith.
Unfortunately, faith is misunderstood. So many people see faith as simply a means to end — faith is crossing our fingers to God and hoping hard enough that things turn out the way we want. And when they do, well, we had faith. That’s not faith. Someone once said that “faith is not the means by which we achieve victory; faith is the victory itself.” Victory is achieved when we trust God’s timing and wait hopefully for Him. Victory over discouragement is achieved when we stop rushing ahead of God, quiet our hearts before him, and wait for His strength.
– Jeff Fannin
A Pastors Thoughts for Sunday
September 1st, 2024
A Pastor’s Thoughts For Sunday…
God is our Creator who breathed the breath of life into our nostrils in the first place, and who now sustains the regular pumping of our lungs in and out. God is the Maker who set the creation into order and who now sustains its every process by His faithfulness. Were He to leave the universe alone, it would collapse into chaos. God is He who gives us all the good gifts of life, of food and clothing, teaches Jesus, and even of our ability to have children and our families, adds Hosea (9:11-14).
God is the Lord of love, who accompanies us daily, who constantly forgives us and guides us and strengthens us on our way. He keeps us from falling into temptation and constantly points out the way to life abundant. He draws near to us when we are in distress, and carries us in His everlasting arms. When we rely on His loving action in our lives, He gives us the power to soar up on wings like eagles and to run and not be weary.
He always gives us the ability to walk steadfastly forward, day by day. In His loving action, we find our security, and in His promises we have our hope for the future, knowing that nothing in all creation and not even death can separate us from the love He has for us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, for all of these reasons, we rejoice and exult because God is present in our midst in peace, coming to us not as an enemy but as our everlastingly faithful Friend. Hallelujah!!!
– Jeff Fannin
– Jeff Fannin