http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/worryfea/pride5.htm John 3:30 says "He [Jesus] must become greater; I must become less."  This quote is from John the Baptist.  I don't ever remember hearing this verse or seeing this verse anywhere, like on wall hangings, coffee mugs, book marks and the like. I'm guessing it isn't a very popular verse.  We like Bible verses that make us feel good or profess our faith.  We don't much like the ones that call us on the carpet! And this one does. We often put ourselves first, as one greater than Christ. We want the worship service to fill us, the music to lift us, our prayers to grant us whatever we want/need.  This verse gives us the equation that sums up what our purpose is.  We are to increasingly make Christ bigger in our lives and make ourselves smaller in comparison.  We are to spend more and more time, money, brain power, activity on Christ and His work. AND we are supposed to spend more and more shrinki...

by Deanna Etienne - used by permission Zephaniah 2:3a Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land,        you who do what he commands.        Seek righteousness, seek humility; When I take time to seek the Lord, I find Him everywhere.  He is in the clouds, in the sunset, in a friend's smile, in my husband's warm embrace.  He is represented in so much if His creation it is hard to miss Him if we only would take the time to seek Him. Seeking righteousness can be hard especially when there are seemingly several righteous solutions.  I read a book once called Right From Wrong by Josh McDowell.  It was a hard book to read because I wanted to argue with each chapter that I didn't immediately agree with.  As I got into each chapter and argument, I had to agree with the author.  We have lots of gray areas where there are two or more seemingly correct, righteous choices but with God there is only bla...

A few years ago I discovered something about myself; that I'd been reluctant to do certain things for fear of failure.  Upon further self-inspection, I discovered that this fear of failure was really a type of arrogance. I would not do things that might cause me to be embarrassed.  Like in high school, I didn't take some of the more difficult classes - like physics, or calculus because ....what if I didn't make an A, or if I studied a LOT but ended up with a (gasp) "C"?  I don't participate in jokes because I will be the one laughed at, (but isn't it really the joke that gets the laugh)?  So, you see, I recognized that fear of humiliation keeps me from doing some things.....and what if some of those things include something for God? To be honest, I can't think of too many things where fear has kept me from doing something that I felt like God wanted me to do.  I have worried about being the only soprano in choir on Sunday but I think I've gotten ...

Philippians 2:3b -4 (ESV) ... but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. The important items of this passage, to me, today, are humility and "count others more significant" and "the interests of others".  If everyone would practice humility towards others all the time, counting others as more significant than ourselves, and look to the interests of others instead of ourselves, the world would be a much gentler place.  I would have more purpose.  I would be more giving. I would be more aware of other people's needs and wants.   Jesus, please transform me into a humble doer of Your will.  Create in me the will to put others ahead of myself.  I am Your servant.  Amen.