Walk With Darrell

It is so easy for us to be critical of people who look at the world differently than we do. That is one of the things I ask God to help me with daily in my prayers “to not have a critical attitude”. God tells us not to judge others. We have to guard ourselves against judging others by what seems right in our eyes. You think about it we all come from different places and we all value different things in life. Paul talks about how fellow believers will see things different than

How to Have a Relationship with Christ What is the way for us to have a relationship with God? Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me”. John 14:6 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. “For unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins” John 8:24 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will

David was described as a man after God’s own heart. David wasn’t perfect by any means, but he did strive to walk close to God. Even with David’s ups and down he wanted to always restore his relationship with God. Sometimes we can fool ourselves into thinking I am doing OK, everything is right with God when actually it might not be. David courageously asked God to conduct an internal evaluation This was a brave request considering God knows all things, even that which we hide

Galatians 5:26 (NIV) 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. A dangerous path for a person to go down is to envy over what others have. We must guard ourselves of the natural tendency to have jealousy or resentment over others good fortune. God warns us that envy is a sin. As believers we have absolutely no reason to be envious of anyone on earth. As a believer in Christ, we have already received the greatest gift of eternal life. For those that have

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths." God tells us to trust in Him and don’t lean on our own understanding. We don’t understand everything that happens in our lives (hands up). We need to trust that God is in control and that He knows what is best for our lives. Have you ever had prayers not answered and now that life events have played out you look

Proverbs 14:26-27 (NKJV) 26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge. 27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death. When we live right with God and show Him reverence. we will have peace. We as followers of Christ can have a lasting peace through Christ’s presence in our hearts. God blesses us with a peaceful and tranquil heart when we honor and obey God. Proverbs 14:30 (AMP

Isaiah 55:8-9 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Sometimes we will not hear God’s audible voice offering the direction we seek. In the quiet waiting, it’s easy to let our minds wander into a whirlwind of questions and concerns. When this happens, we need to remember the moment we invited Jesus Christ int

Ephesians 4:32 (ESV) 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Everyone who is reading this is fighting some type of battle. Everyone we run into at the store or at work is fighting some type of battle. So, remember this, as it will change how we see people. Always be kind to people. I heard a bunch of Whaaaatttt!!!! Yes, if you want to be a positive enabler, encourager then show kindness to the people around you. When we s

In our Christian walk it is great to have an accountability partner. This is someone that will help you stay committed in following Christ. Hopefully you have one. My wife, Terri is my accountability partner. We encourage each other in our walk with God. We pray together and for one another. You talk about something powerful…listen to your partner pray for you. In my case it is my wife praying for me. Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) 17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens anoth

Mark 7:20-23 20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” As Christians even though our sins have been forgiven, we struggle daily with sin. We still need to be careful with sin in our life. We must guard agains

John 12:46 (HCSB) 46 I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness. The Bible says that you are the light that gives light to the world. As a believer we are to live in a way that lets other people to understand what it means to be a follower of Jesus. It brings up the question, “what kind of light are we giving off”? It reminds me of the song, “This little light of mine”. When was the last time you sang the song “This

Two thousand years ago, Jesus showed us how we should respond to the kind of hate-driven barriers that oppress people who are different. In John 4:7 it starts the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan women. Who were the Samaritans? The Samaritans were a despised and powerless minority of no perceived value to the Jews in those days. John 4 vs 9 it says, “ Jews do not associate with Samaritans”. Jesus chose a Samaritan woman, and she wasn’t just any women. She had a history of

Hebrews 10:23 (NLT) 23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. I received a message from Christian friends the other day. They were discouraged with some of the trials they were facing and needed some Christian encouragement. Despite God’s promises, despite Christ’s love, and despite our countless blessings we sometimes can still lose hope from time to time and become discouraged. If we are all honest, we have al

Truth and Integrity are characteristics that many of us value in ourselves, and they are things we look for consistently in our leaders. But what does it really mean to have truth and integrity? The Random House Dictionary defines integrity as: 1. Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. 2. The state of being whole, entire or undiminished. 3. A sound, unimpaired or perfect condition. Truth and Integrity are also valued by G

Philippians 4:6 (NIV) 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Terri and I have been praying together our whole married life. Prayer is an integral part of our daily life. Prayer has had so many benefits for our lives. First, we use prayer to communicate with our Heavenly Father and we know He hears our prayers. Prayers helps us find strength for each day and hope for the future. Praye

1 John 1:9 (NIV) 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. As believers we still must deal with the sins, we commit to renew our fellowship with God by confessing our sins. 1 John 1:9 tells us that God will forgive us our sins. It is good news for us! My first Sunday School lesson I ever taught was “Walking in a constant state of repentance”. Once we confess our sins, we need to change our ways. Whe

Terri and I participated in a great study a few years ago. Rick Warrens “40 Days of Purpose”, what a great study. The church we were attending had a church-wide study with small groups. Rick’s study guided us in a study of why God created us and what is our purpose in living. Exodus 9:16 16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Have you ever wondered what God’s purpose is for you i

Deuteronomy 5:33 (NIV) 33 Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess. God promises that obedience matters. The bible is full of God’s commands, these are not “suggestions” they are not “helpful hints”. These are God’s instructions that lead to repentance, salvation, and an abundant life. God loves us and is committed to us. He commands our obedience, not because

Matthew 15:11 (NIV) 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” One of my early lessons I received from my dad was on watching my language. My dad would spend a lot of time with us kids. He would shoot hoops with my brother and me. He also would hit fly balls to us boys. I can remember when I was probably in the 4th or 5th grade, my dad was hitting us fly balls. I let the ball get by me and let a word

Lamentations 3:25-26 (NLT) 25 The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. 26 So it is good to wait quietly...