Rekindle Your Faith Devotional Guide

Please take a moment each day for ten days to read and reflect upon the passages of scripture and devotionals presented here. Take the time to meditate and pray about what the passage means to you and for us as a church family.

printable version (PDF)

Day One

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. - Hebrews 11:1

Faith defines the life of a Christian. God invites us into a relationship that is based entirely on faith, but I must admit that at times it is very difficult to live by faith. There are many instances that I would prefer a direct audible word from God rather than venturing forth in a step of faith. The very least God could do is let me see the answer. Yet, it seems that my faith grows every time I have to take a step of faith. 

Campaigns like "Rekindle Your Faith" make for challenging moments of faith. When we come to issues of money, faithful action seems even more difficult. We are often pulled between what we know we should do and what we would rather do. We find ourselves wrestling with our desires, our family or maybe even God over what it means to be faithful when a pledge card sits in front of us.

My prayer is that during the coming weeks of "Rekindle Your Faith" you will wrestle with God. That you will use this time to reflect on your relationship with God and consider what it would mean to take a new step of faith. 

Prayer: Almighty God, grant me the courage to live each day in faithful obedience to you. 

Ken Diehm

Day Two

Pray in Faith for God's will.  - Mark 11:24

Once things cease to go as we had hoped-once our perfect plan derails-we panic.  The lost job.  The diagnosis.  The shattered relationship.  For a while, we're sure we can make things right again.  We're sure things will turn out okay, that God will give us the ending to this situation that we hoped for...that we prayed for. 

But what happens when our "perfect ending" doesn't happen?  When we lose our job anyway? When our loved one doesn't pull through? When our vision of a perfect life is shattered?  In those quiet moments of desperation and of devastation, faith-true faith-is born.  Anticipating the outcome optimistically isn't faith.  I call that hope.  For me, faith comes in when hope has fallen by the wayside. 

I've come to know faith in recent years.  I'd like to say it was born of believing, then receiving gracefully exactly as I had expected.  But for the most part, it was born after pain, tears, gnashing of teeth, resignation and, finally, of hope lost.  Yes, after letting go of anger and grief and desperation for outcomes I was certain I could realize but did not, I embraced faith in knowing that I was a child of God who is loved.  And I am.  Faith in knowing that there is a divine purpose for my life.  And there is.  Faith in the fact that despite an outcome very different from what I had hoped for or imagined, I'll feel a stronger sense of God's loving purpose working in my life. And I do.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I believe in YOU.  I believe in your choices over mine; in your actions over mine. Hear my plea, then give me the strength to accept Your answer, whatever that may be.  Thy will be done.  Amen. 

Kathi Shaw

Day Three

Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son. - Genesis 18:14

In Genesis 17-18, God told Abram and Sarai that they should select a name for their new son that was to come. With Abram nearly 100 years old, and Sarai 90, their reaction was understandable.they laughed! 

Why did they laugh? Maybe because of the sheer craziness of the idea, but also because of the joy and changes it would bring to their lives. God had promised them they would be fruitful and have many descendants, but over the many years that had passed, it had not yet happened. Could the impossible really happen?!

God changed their names, from Abram to Abraham, and from Sarai to Sarah. He eventually brought them a son, Isaac, as he promised, and entered into a covenant with Isaac for all the descendants that would follow him. God changed Abraham and Sarah's perspective about life's possibilities. He also changed and rekindled their faith and trust in him. He can do the same thing for us in our daily lives.

Prayer: Dear Lord, there are days when life seems totally out of my control and full of impossibilities. Please help me to understand that through my faithfulness and full trust in you, all things are possible. Amen.

Mark Croft

Day Four

You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.  - Psalm 139:4

Christians always know that God has been and is a part of their lives. While I was a teenager I didn't give this concept much thought. I attended Sunday school and also joined the local church's youth program. I'm sure that ministers revealed God's presence in my life to me at this early stage, but like most young people it went over my head. It was some years later that God helped to rekindle my faith in his love for me.

The first time I felt God's hand in my life was while attending a church leaders' retreat. We served each other communion at the end, and like John Wesley I felt a warm feeling come over my body. Since that time I have reflected back on my life to determine those times when God seemed nearer than usual. Once as a youngster, I was visiting my cousin and he was showing me one of his father's rifles. Supposedly it wasn't loaded, but for some reason I moved the barrel away from me and suddenly it went off sending a bullet through the floor. God was certainly there telling me to move the pointed rifle away from my body.

Just over two years ago, while taking my annual physical I told the doctor that I hadn't had a stress test for over five years and should probably have one. Although my EKG was perfect, he accepted my idea and discovered that I had some problems. Subsequent follow-up with the cardiologist revealed that I had four arteries that were 75% blocked. Once again God was there to tell me to take this action. I had not felt any typical heart problems, but after surgery I was told that if things had continued I would have just dropped dead.

So I know that God is around and for whatever reasons he has moved me away from harms way. There have undoubtedly been other times, but my ears weren't open to God's gentle touch.

Prayer: May you open your hearts and ears to God's voice and give thanks for his love for you in your life. 

Walt Milner

Day Five

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. - Ephesians 3:16-17

When I received an e-mail from Pastor Ken asking that I share some thoughts about rekindling our faith, I thought, "Why Me? I surely have no words of wisdom or inspiration." Then my thoughts quickly turned to the challenging words, "Rekindle Your Faith." I realized that each of us needs to rekindle something of the spirit within us which generates and reaffirms our faith in God's everlasting love and promise. I believe rekindling the spirit deep within our being requires us to focus and refocus periodically to let our faith shine through.

Forget and put aside our anxiety, concerns, and fears of everyday living and recall the good things in life and the blessings we receive through God's grace and love for us.

Open our minds and refresh our spirit through hearing and reading God's words for us so that we may receive his message for guidance in our lives. Visit with God in prayer often, even in quiet brief moments during our daily tasks.

Center our thoughts and deeds to care for others and their needs as we do ourselves. There is a special joy and satisfaction which comes through serving others.

Understand and appreciate the depth of God's love for each of us through the gift of His Son Jesus so that we may have the promise of everlasting life.

Seek to serve God, building his kingdom through the church faithfully with our personal presence and prayer, our material gifts, and the gift of our time and self.

Focus on rekindling your faith. Receive God's blessing.

Prayer: Father, we come to you in this quiet moment with gratitude for your grace and everlasting love. Guide us and deepen our faith with the burning desire to do your will through divine understanding and focusing on being and becoming the people you want us to be. Let our presence in life be one of service in your name today and the days to come. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Allen Mossman

Day Six

And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something- now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means.  2 Corinthians 8:10-11

Before we can do God's will relative to giving, there must first be ".a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have." 

We can't give out of fear, or habit, or obligation, or because someone told us to do it. We must give willingly, from our heart and because we love God, if we want the gift to be acceptable to God. Once we start giving willingly, we can then begin to figure out how much God wants us to give faithfully!

Prayer: God, please help us first to give willingly and cheerfully. And once we are giving willingly, please help us grow faithfully towards tithing.

Hal O'Brien

Day Seven

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer."  - Romans 12:12
"We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

Many times in our lives we encounter problems that seem to overwhelm us.  It is during these times of uneasiness that doubts tend to creep into our minds and cloud our senses.  We can overcome these doubts by remembering that God is faithful and does not burden us with more than we can endure.

These burdens occur, for example, when we face those times of sadness and grief at the loss of a loved one.  Sometimes we face major changes in our lives such as a change in a career.  We wonder if we should undertake that change.

At one time in my life, I was faced with a possible change in my career.  I had a successful business, but something told me that I needed to become a teacher and help students learn my profession.  God sent a person to me who wanted to buy my building, and another one who wanted to buy my furniture and equipment.  This occurred before I had made public that I was going to go into academics.

After much prayer, it was evident to me that God wanted me to make that change and because of my faith, it was easy to do so.  We know that all things work together for good for those who love the Lord.  We don't know what He has in store for us.  Many good things have happened to me since that time.

Prayer: Gracious God, I offer thanks to you for my life, my family, this earth, for Jesus Christ and for all the many blessings you have given to me.  I am thankful for the assurance that you are always there for me and that you always keep your promises. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!

Gene Zachary

Day Eight

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. - Lamentations 3:22-23

When I think of faith, I think of little faith and Big Faith. Little faith is when three children need to be picked up at the same time and I get a call offering one of my children a ride. It's the faith that things are going to work out. Sometimes I don't get that call. Sometimes not only do three children need to be picked up, but one throws up in the car, one needs a book from the store or they are "going to get an F!", and I'm almost out of gas. Those are still little faith moments when I know God is there. He's just telling me, "You should manage your time better, you're too busy, you shouldn't have had so many kids (no that's not it), or this is just how life is sometimes." I think of those as little faith, because it is there every day. God is there and everything is okay. 

Big Faith to me is the guiding principle of our lives. Big Faith enables us to take risks; not like which stock to buy, but the kind of risk which allows us to trust other people, forgive, speak the truth and love unconditionally no matter the response or consequences. Big Faith is when you pray for something really big, logically impossible and you know God will provide in his own way. 

I think God has shown Big Faith in us as a congregation. We have a big, beautiful sanctuary that God has provided for us. I think we now have the privilege and responsibility to pay for it. By alleviating some of the sanctuary debt, we can open ourselves up to whatever God has planned for us as a church. I think we have a Big sanctuary, Big Faith and I think God is going to do Big things through us!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for our everyday faith and we thank you for the faith we have for big things. Help us to be open to your plan for our congregation and your plan for our lives. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 

Debbie Price

Day Nine

I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. - Matthew 17:20

Several summers ago, my Dad got very sick. On the way home to Virginia, I discovered he had died earlier that afternoon. Certainly I was filled with sadness, but I also began searching for the words to comfort my mom.a wife to this man for 54 years! My mother, being a woman of faith, knew that God would get her through this ordeal. But even the heroes of the faith-Abraham, David, and Paul-needed help at various times in their life.

My mom's direct help came through my wife Ann and indirectly through Cindy Ryan. It just happened that Cindy had preached a powerful sermon just weeks before about faith and Manhattan stone. The island of Manhattan is small but on it there are a tremendous number of buildings. The buildings are supported by its' foundation of Manhattan stone, which is some of the strongest material around. Cindy continued that our faith needs to have its roots in Jesus.our spiritual foundation. And if our faith is grounded, things will happen, but we can get through them because our faith is solid, unwavering. like Manhattan stone. I heard my wife repeat Cindy's message to my mother. She told my mom that her faith was sound, built on her relationship with the Resurrected One. It was the right message given at the right time. It brought comfort to my mom.

God calls us all to have faith that is unwavering; He calls us to have faith that won't dry up in the midst of the drought; He calls us to have faith like a mustard seed because with that kind of faith we can move mountains. Have you moved any mountains lately?

Prayer: Lord, we seek you in the depths of our soul. We seek to exhibit the faith of our fathers; a faith that withstands the trials of the day; a faith that draws others to you. Bless each of us on our faith journey.

O. C. Hailey

Day Ten

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. - Hebrews 10:23-24

When I moved here nine months ago, I left behind a church in Lubbock that was truly my family. These were the people that spurred me on to deeper faith and understood and accepted me completely. Aldersgate (my church) was the oxygen for many of the flames of faith in my life. Even though I was moving here to work at a church, my fire of faith dwindled to an oxygen-starved ember.

Over the past few months, I have watched my faith spark and sputter, trying to regain the intensity that it had a year ago. God has been patient and faithful. My Companions in Christ have breathed new life into me. The many changes happening here at First Church have excited me and have given me hope for an even better future. I see evidence of faith rekindled-not just in my own life, but in the life of this entire congregation.

We have come through to the "bright future" that you all were expecting a few years ago, but it's the fire of faith that will keep that future bright. Together, we'll create a bonfire that won't be easily missed by the world around us.

Prayer: God, we love you and thank you for your faithfulness. Help us to burn brighter than we ever have before! Let us feel your presence with us as we commit to the future of your work through this church. We are so excited to see what's next!

Melissia Mason