Tag Archives: God

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

God is the Strength of My Heart

Posted on July 15, 2025 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

We pour out our hearts to God, and suddenly we become aware of his presence—his nearness. “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel” (23-24). Continue reading →

Posted in Devotional Thoughts | Tagged Asaph, God, in a fog, My flesh and my heart may fail, nothing on earth I desire besides you., strength of my heart, why do the wicked prosper? | 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

Second Fiddle

Posted on May 4, 2025 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

Harmony in the body of Christ requires that we learn to “play second fiddle.” The lessons of humility are not easy ones, but they are essential to bringing harmony to lives and relationships. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotional Thoughts | Tagged bible, Blessing, bridegroom and bride, christianity, encouragement, faith, God, harmony, he must increase, humility, I must decrease, Jesus, John the Baptist, most difficult instrument, obedience, second chair, second fiddle, unity | Leave a comment

Born Again

Posted on May 3, 2025 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

We emerge as a beautiful butterfly. So, when we come in repentance and faith and invite Christ into our lives, he transforms us and we are made new. We emerge from the experience a new creature. In the words of Jesus, we are “born again.” Continue reading →

Posted in Devotional Thoughts | Tagged bible, born again, Born from above, butterfly, christianity, faith, God, Jesus, Jesus teaching, kingdom of God, life abundant, life lived to the full, Nicodemus | Leave a comment

Every Promise

Posted on April 21, 2025 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

This text is also a reminder that the promises have conditions. Failure to meet those conditions has consequences. “But just as all the good things have been fulfilled, so the Lord will bring upon you all the evil things . . . if you transgress the covenant.” Promises may appear to be unfulfilled, but often God is waiting for conditions to be met Continue reading →

Posted in Devotional Thoughts, Uncategorized | Tagged all his promises are faithful, bible, christianity, condition of obedience, faith, God, God's promises have conditions, Jesus, necessity of obedience, procrastination, promises of God | Leave a comment

Change Brings Fruit

Posted on March 18, 2025 by pastorjeffsneighborhood

Repentance is all about change. To repent is to change one’s mind about sin, which leads to a change of direction and behavior. Ultimately it brings a fruitful life: a Christ-like life. If you don’t change: you will never grow and you will miss out on the abundant life that could be yours. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotional Thoughts, Uncategorized | Tagged become more like Jesus, bible, change, christlike, discipleship, don't resist needed changes, faith, fruit of the Spirit, God, growth, Jesus, maturity, repentance, Spiritual growth | Leave a comment

Tag Archives: God

Building Up or Tearing Down

Plastic Prayers Make Plastic Churchgoers

A Heart of Wisdom

God is the Strength of My Heart

Meditating on Your Works

Second Fiddle

Born Again

Every Promise

Change Brings Fruit

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories

Meta

Follow Blog via Email