Month: July 2025

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.

– 1 Corinthians 3:6-8

When our expectations collide with our impatience the only result that can occur is frustration. I find this to be true in so many different aspects in my life. All those things that just aren’t working out like I had envisioned or they are taking just way too long. Maybe it’s because I didn’t prepare as well as I could have. Maybe I didn’t put in the required effort needed. Maybe the outcome was dependent upon an external factor that wasn’t completely under my control. 

Despite the reason, the resulting frustration incurred when expectations and impatience are unequally yoked have a devastating effect on ambition. When that happens, if not dealt with, it is too easy, even natural to fall into discouragement. And discouragement loves to take on the form of apathy. The main issue here is not having unrealistic ambitions, but rather a limited vision in terms of the process.

But what about in God’s economy? Does God have a plan that supersedes our ambitions as well as our faults? How about a timeline? Does God always take into account timing?

The answer to those questions are obviously YES.

Of course He does. It’s called His will. And the amazing part about God’s will is that though it has to always be accomplished, He invites us to participate. In each different aspect of His greater plan, we may play a relatively large part or we may simply be a small, even minute essential step. Every situation is different. Each situation is based on His prerogative. For us, all situations are rooted in our faithfulness. 

Humility, surrender and trust are at the heart of how God chooses to use us. When we are humble, we understand it’s His will that gets accomplished. When we are surrendered, we are able to follow His plan and play our part. When we trust God, we have a confidence that from the biggest role to the smallest, it’s not the job God has given us to do, but rather the love that He allows us to be a part of.

Despite God accomplishing something within us or in someone else, it is vital we understand that He is the one who gives increase. When we get to this place in our faith, frustration and discouragement gives way to excitement, fulfillment and a fullness that only comes from being in God’s will.

If you struggle with discouragement, if you have a tendency to fall into apathy, if your expectations are affected by your impatience, if you don’t think you are doing enough for God, stop. That’s right, just stop. Take some time. Connect with God outside of your agenda, your goal, your impatience, the expectations you have placed upon yourself and allow Him to bring you back into His amazing plan for your life.

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

-Philippians 3:13-14

Ruts. 

Those troublesome things that are easy to fall into and hard to get out of. A great definition of a rut is a habit or pattern of behavior that has become dull and unproductive, but is hard to change. Sounds about right.

Ruts in our life are made by repeated decisions and actions that we know are unhealthy for us, but the more we do them, the deeper we cut the rut. 

The problem with ruts is that they will always pose a danger. Continually attempting to pull us back in, watching for every opportunity to trap, to put us under its dead end routine.

Every farmer knows the only way to deal with a rut is to completely get rid of that rut. This could be as simple as filling it in with rocks and dirt and packing it down. But for those really stubborn ruts, those established ruts, those need to be excavated out, taken all the way down and then that area has to be built back up. It takes time and effort, but it’s the only way.

Our life is no different. 

There are those mistakes we make and learn from relatively quickly. Minor mishaps that we quickly correct and fill in before they can erode the ground of our faith. 

But then there are the others. The bigger, deeper ones. Mistakes we follow up with bad decisions. Over and over and over again, it seems we cannot or do not want to move. Maybe it’s that we have no idea how to get out of those ruts. Maybe we just enjoy being in those ruts because we mistakenly think that is who we have become. Regardless of the reason, when we are stuck in a rut it is hard to find a way out. 

The worst part is that every mistake that is followed by bad decisions digs that rut deeper each time. Sometimes we dig ruts in our ruts and there is a perpetual destruction that follows. There is no doubt that the bigger the rut, the easier it is to fall into.

The truth is, the ruts of sin are never satisfied. The only solution is that they get dug out from their origin, from the core cause. Fortunately if you are a born-again believer, every tool is at your disposal. But as with any tool, it remains useless until you pick it up and put your effort behind it. 

The enemy will always attempt to remind us of who we once were, attempting to knock us back into the ruts. There is only one answer, one solution, one way out. 

Christ propels us to our new self, created through His blood and sustained by His Spirit. When our faith is placed on the Rock, though we may make mistakes, we, by His power and His grace no longer need to follow that mistake up with a bad decision.

Will you allow the Rock to rid you of those nasty ruts? Seek Him and you will find Him. When you find Him, rely upon Him.

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

– Jeremiah 29:13

As a pastor, I get to have all sorts of conversations with people. Some stem from tragic events, some are for advice, some relate to conflict. Those are all essential conversations that are taken very seriously. 

But then there are the other ones. The ones I get excited about. It’s those conversations where people can’t wait to tell me what God has done or has shown them. Many times, initially it may  seem like the most inconvenient moment, but as they share I can’t help but be pulled into their rejoicing. 

Everything from the expression on their face, the tone of their voice, their body language and of course the words they are speaking testifies to a supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit. Of course it’s supernatural, because it transcends our natural worldly experiences. It’s something so much more, so much greater.

It’s life changing. And not only for that person, but for everyone else that is included in the retelling of how God interacted with them.

There is no doubt each unique testimony is special and impactful and should be celebrated. However, could we be mistaken if we fall into a mindset that tells us these God interactions are a rarity? That if God works in such ways it’s few and far between? That it could never happen to us personally?

Because of sin and the inevitable separation that it causes with a righteous God, our human nature expects to have no personal interaction with a righteous God beyond our own rational. Faith becomes an abstract concept, irrational and confined to our minute understanding of something greater than what we can comprehend with our limited understanding.

But Jesus changes all that. 

When the sin issue is dealt with, the faith effect is nourished. Light floods into the darkness. Our relationship with Jesus begins to take root and grow. Believing becomes seeing and seeing begins to define the personal relationship we now have with Christ. 

We begin to have new questions. We move from, “Does God really exist” to “How can I hear God more clearly and more often?”

What a wonderful place to be! 

It builds our faith and places us in a position of expectation.

Do you expect to hear and see God working in your life?

How have you seen God revealing and working in and around you today? 

How about this week?

What have you done to see God work in your life this week, today?

There is no doubt God is speaking. He is always speaking through His Word, the Scriptures. He also speaks to us when we pray. He speaks through the little things. He even speaks through the hard things. How have you positioned yourself to listen and hear today?

And when God does something in your life, are you sharing it with others?

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

-Matthew 24:13

Road trips come in all sorts of distances and destinations. Some trips are taken for pleasure, while others out of necessity. From a vacation to a work related trip, the road holds so many possibilities as well as challenges. One thing they all have in common is a simple travel principle. If you know you are going on a long trip in your vehicle you prepare much differently than if you are simply running to grab some milk and eggs. Or at the least, you should.

From a fresh oil change, to making sure your tires are good to go, how you maintain and prepare your vehicle is vital. You also have a good idea on your route and planning stops are an important component. Depending upon what time of year you are traveling also plays a key role in what you pack or leave at home. 

There is just so much more thought that goes into traveling hundreds or thousands of miles than just running around town. The difference comes down to goals. One is groceries, the other is a destination. One is a few minutes, the other is multiple hours or even days. 

The goal, or the difficulty of attaining a goal will always determine the effort we put into the process. 

That’s easy to see in terms of driving to the store versus driving across the country. But how often might we overlook such a simple principle when it comes to our faith? If we treat our Christian lifestyle like simply driving around town, hopping from one short jaunt to work to a quick stop at the store and then back home, we can quickly lose sight of the much greater destination. 

Every born again believer needs to have a much bigger perspective than just our day to day. In fact, it needs to be bigger than week to week or even year to year. 

We must be Kingdom minded and that means it’s vital to have an eternal perspective. We are not to live our life limping from one thing to the next, but rather with an understanding that this life is the road to a much more permanent destination. And if preparation is important for our road trips, how much more important is it for our eternity?

Every trip we take inevitably comes with risks, dangers and unexpected events. We cannot specifically prepare for every little issue that we might face, but we can prepare ourselves to endure whatever that might be.

In terms of our faith, that’s a deep and genuine relationship with Christ as our Savior. That takes preparation and maintenance on our part. When our dependence is found wholly in Christ, despite what the road of life throws at us, we can have a confidence that He will never leave us or forsake us. This helps us keep our ultimate destination in focus and that changes how we live day to day.

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

In this case, moreover, it is required [as essential and demanded] of stewards that one be found faithful and trustworthy.

1 Corinthians 4:2 (AMP)

Stewardship. Is it a good idea, a mandate, a Biblical principle? Yes. But maybe the best way to think about stewardship is in terms of our responsibility. According to 1 Corinthians 4:2, that responsibility is embodied in a life being found faithful and trustworthy.

These two traits cannot be relegated to an old fashioned mentality. As a born again believer, stewardship has to be an attribute of our faith that we live out. 

Stewardship comes in all forms. We most likely hear about stewardship in terms of the environment or the financial aspect. And though these are two areas God has placed us in a stewardship position over, there are other responsibilities we cannot overlook.

Number one on our list should always be our own faith. Did you know you are to be a steward of your own Christian walk? In other words, we need to be found faithful and trustworthy in our relationship with Jesus and our closeness to the Holy Spirit. Too often I hear people say, “I’m just not hearing from God.” Or, “I’m just not being fed.” In other words, they are relying on others to steward their faith. How then can they be found faithful and trustworthy? How will their faith be strengthened so they can stand against sin? Honestly, we have no one else to blame when we fall into temptation except ourselves. 

Stewardship, by definition, is the responsible oversight and management of something entrusted to one’s care. God entrusts us with so many things here on earth, especially our own faith. We should never underestimate the importance of taking care of ourselves in a spiritual aspect. In a spiritual sense, we are literally obligated to be a steward with what has been entrusted to us.

How might that look?

First we must understand that everything we have is a gift from God. Gifts that He has entrusted us with. This includes the environment and our finances as well as all our material things that we can use to glorify the Father. But it goes much deeper. It is also our abilities. Those things that God uses to make us unique. It’s our talents, those things we are naturally good at. How might our faith be strengthened when we are good stewards of our talents?

And then there’s our time. A commodity we all share equally. We are all given the same 24 hours in a day. How we choose to steward our time though can be very different.

We are also stewarded with our love and compassion to others, especially our families. Have we been found faithful and trustworthy here?

Remember, when we are adopted into the Kingdom through Christ, we become a steward of the Kingdom. That responsibility needs to be taken with the utmost seriousness while understanding how much of an honor stewardship actually is.

Jason Metz, lead Pastor