God's Man

I was searching through biblegateway.com looking up different words when I decided to look up the word focus.  Finding that the NIV did not use the word focus I switched to the Message translation.  I was immediately drawn to a passage of scripture that I have read quite a few times.  But God wanted me to see something different this time.   Matthew 6:5-7 (Msg)    "And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? "Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God , and you will begin to sense his grace. "The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs

We are in the middle of a new sermon series called The Wisdom of Oz.  I gave the sermons for the first two sessions.  They were about having a heart and mind like God.  I really enjoyed what God had to say.  I also contributed the devotional for our members this week.  Here it is...   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words From the Yellow Brick Road   Two weeks along the path and God has already done some amazing things in our lives.   During this time I asked you to find God in different places and I wanted to share one of my favorite reminders of God.   When you enter the neighborhood where I live, one of my cousins, has these two trees planted in his front yard.   They are both mature trees, big and strong with deep roots and branches that reach into the sky.   They are the same type of tree.   Every year around this time they get the same pretty flowers along the branches.   Then they fill with leaves and become full.   One day while walking through the nei