Tag Archives: faith

Building Up or Tearing Down

Posted on August 13, 2025 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

Tearing down is simple. Building up is an art. Anyone can criticize; it takes no great skill to see the problems. It takes a real leader not to be distracted by the words that tear down; to keep to the task despite criticism. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotional Thoughts | Tagged bible, Building Up, dealing with criticism, dealing with critics, encouragement, faith, focus, God, Leaders are undeterred by criticism, leaders deal with criticism, leadership, Nehemiah, prayer, tearing down, Tobiah and Sanballat | Leave a comment

Plastic Prayers Make Plastic Churchgoers

Posted on August 4, 2025 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

Open up your heart to God, just like David did. Get it all “out on the table,” then allow God to deal with the questions, the fears, the pain, the problems, the doubts. He patiently waits on us to clean out the closets of our heart. He delights in meeting with us when we do. Honesty is the road to transformation. We trade in our plastic religiosity to become authentic Christ followers. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotional Thoughts | Tagged authentic christ followers, bible, faith, God, honest praying, honesty, hypocrisy, Jesus, lament, plastic christians, plastic churchgoers, prayer, praying, Psalms | Leave a comment

Blessing Instead of Bleeping

Posted on August 1, 2025 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

Our social media feeds are filled with it too. Words filled with contempt. Angry words. Slanderous, malicious, untruthful words. Name calling. Words that seek to divide and conquer–to tear down rather than build up. This is not the way of Christ. These things, too, ought not to be so. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotional Thoughts | Tagged angry words, bible, Blessing, christianity, contempt, curse, cursing, faith, God, gossip, Hope, Jesus, joy, judgmental words, malicious, peace, power of blessing, power of words, sarcastic comments, slanderous, social media, these things ought not to be so, untruthful words | Leave a comment

A Heart of Wisdom

Posted on July 20, 2025 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

He bypassed all the selfish possibilities, and asked for the thing he most needed: wisdom. God was so pleased by his choice, that he gave him wealth, long life and honor too. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bible, faith, God, Jesus, wisdom | Leave a comment

A Heart that Trusts

Posted on July 17, 2025 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

When it was all said and done, he trusted God to do the impossible and a son was born (that doesn’t mean there weren’t a few struggles of faith along the way—and a few missteps). He trusted God to fulfill an impossible promise. He trusted God when the cost seemed unbearable. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotional Thoughts | Tagged Abraham, Abraham the man of faith, akedah, faith, faithfulness of God, He trusted God, Isaac, promises of God, Sarah, trials of faith, trust, when he didn't know where he was going | Leave a comment

Cleaning Up the Mess

Posted on July 16, 2025 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

Until we see the mess we’re in, we don’t see our need for the remedy to our situation. We are blind to the ruin and misery caused by our sin. Not to mention the ruin and misery that follows us wherever we go. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotional Thoughts | Tagged faith, Jesus, law, law written on our hearts, making a mess of things, no not one, no one righteous, poison of vipers, sin causes ruin and misery, the mess we're in, throats like open graves, tongues practice deceit | Leave a comment

Meditating on Your Works

Posted on July 5, 2025 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

When we slow down our reading and praying and take time to meditate and listen, we become more aware of His presence and more sensitive to His voice. Our whole perspective on the day changes as we remember the greatness of the God who loves us and cares for us. As we walk through the day aware of his goodness, we recognize his good works all around us Continue reading →

Posted in Devotional Thoughts | Tagged abundant goodness and righteousness, bible, faith, glorious splendor of your majesty, God, greatness is unsearchable, Jesus, meditate on God's goodness, meditating on God's character, Psalms, wondrous works | Leave a comment

Surprise!

Posted on June 18, 2025 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

God answers prayer. Pray fervently and expectantly. And don’t be too surprised when the answer you are seeking comes knocking at the door. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bible, christianity, faith, Jesus, prayer | 1 Comment

The God Who Answers

Posted on June 17, 2025 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

How good it is to know that there is a God we can always turn to, one who always listens. He is able to save us no matter where we find ourselves. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotional Thoughts | Tagged boldness, Elijah, faith, Fire on the mountain, God heard and answered, no response, prayer, prophets of Baal, turning their hearts back again, Waver between two opinions? | Leave a comment

Out of the Shadows

Posted on May 22, 2025 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

Jesus came as the Light of the world to bring us out of the darkness and into the light. His signs showed forth the glorious light that we might believe. Yet people reacted in different ways to the light. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotional Thoughts | Tagged children of darkness, children of the light, darkness, doubt, faith, Half-hearted, hardhearted, Jesus, light, out of the shadows, unbelief, whole-hearted belief | Leave a comment

Tag Archives: faith

Building Up or Tearing Down

Plastic Prayers Make Plastic Churchgoers

A Heart of Wisdom

A Heart that Trusts

Cleaning Up the Mess

Meditating on Your Works

Surprise!

The God Who Answers

Out of the Shadows

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