Contributed by: Douglas Poole, Lead Pastor

Oh God thank you for this year and that all things end. By your grace and peace let everything we have learned bear fruit in our lives so that your light may shine upon us and others.

I have made known the end from the beginning, from ancient times what is still to come. I say “my purpose will stand and I will do all that I please.”  -Isaiah 46:10

Everything has seasons and we have to be able to recognize when something’s time has passed and be able to move into the next season. Everything that is alive requires pruning as well, which is a great metaphor for endings. -Henry Cloud

When you have lived long enough and reflect on your life you realize that endings are a part of our journey. Some endings don’t come soon enough…others arrive way sooner than we wish. Some we rejoice over…others leave us grieving. But again, when you have lived long enough and reflect on your life you also realize that with God’s grace…endings lead to new beginnings and new beauty if you step into them. So when endings are hard, rejoice in the beauty you were given and then step into the new.

May the God who is in control give you peace and calm in ending one place in life and move you on to the bigger and better things He has planned for your life.

Contributed by: Jacque Poole, Cypress Tribe Member

Oh God thank you for this year and that all things end. By your grace and peace let everything we have learned bear fruit in our lives so that your light may shine upon us and others.

"All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen" (Romans 16:27)

Social psychologists call our aptitude at remembering final words (endings) the "recency effect." The principle of recency states that the things most recently learned are the ones most likely to be remembered. Apply that to the many endings in your day: From finishing an email to saying goodbye to our children at the bus stop, our lives are full of opportunities for "one last thing." Unfortunately, my "one last thing" usually ends up being tired, recycled words I've already used or reminders about buttoning coats. This is not what I want my co-workers, children, and friends to remember! When I consider the recency effect, I feel even more certain that the words I write and speak could use a tune-up…Benedictions are like the punctuation in our lives. The words inform the sentence before and give a sense of the sentence to come. Choose your words wisely. I've pondered what I can say to point others back to the only source of true life. And so I close with these words: “As babies evoke smiles to our faces, so does your heart evoke God's delight.” -Nicole Unice

As we move toward the end of 2021, consider your ending. How do you want to close out this year? With your family? With your friends? With your colleagues? With your Cypress Tribe? With Jesus? Once again, it is time to ponder and be deliberate.

Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. God sees your beauty and smiles.

May the God who is in control give you peace and calm in ending one place in life and move you on to the bigger and better things He has planned for your life.

Contributed by: Marq Caughell, Cypress Tribe Member

Oh God thank you for this year and that all things end. By your grace and peace let everything we have learned bear fruit in our lives so that your light may shine upon us and others.

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.  - 2 Timothy 3:1-5

“So it falls out that in this world, in evil days like these, the Church walks onward like a wayfarer stricken by the world's hostility, but comforted by the mercy of God. Nor does this state of affairs date only from the days of Christ's and His Apostles' presence on earth. It was never any different from the days when the first just man, Abel, was slain by his ungodly brother. So shall it be until this world is no more.” - from The City of God by St. Augustine

Why are you so ready for the end? You can’t handle some difficulty? You think it is unfair that people are allowed to make poor decisions? Do you think you are too good to get your hands dirty? There is work to be done before you can rest. Stop complaining.

May the God who is in control give you peace and calm in ending one place in life and move you on to the bigger and better things He has planned for your life.

Contributed by: Taylor Fletcher, Worship Leader

Oh God thank you for this year and that all things end. By your grace and peace let everything we have learned bear fruit in our lives so that your light may shine upon us and others.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Rev 1:17-18

We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. – TS Eliot

Endings are always beginnings with God. He not only sees, He exist in eternity past, present, and future, and all at the same time! This is too great for me to understand and like John I want to “fall at his feet as though dead” but Jesus’ response to the reality of endings is for us to “not be afraid”.

May the God who is in control give you peace and calm in ending one place in life and move you on to the bigger and better things He has planned for your life.

Contributed by: Keith Killen, Cypress Tribe Member

Oh God thank you for this year and that all things end. By your grace and peace let everything we have learned bear fruit in our lives so that your light may shine upon us and others.

And at the end of 430 years, on this very day, all the multitudes of the Lord departed from the land of Egypt. Exodus 12:41

There's a trick to the “graceful exit.” It begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage, or a relationship is over--and let it go. It means leaving what's over without denying its validity or its past importance to our lives. It involves a sense of future, a belief that every exit line is an entry, that we are moving up, rather than out." - Ellen Goodman

When I sensed the Lord calling me to end my career of 29 year, I was obedient but panicky. After suffering with anxiety and fear for a week, I called out to God confessing “I’m out of control!” In that moment, God revealed a truth that returned my peace and calm; His reply was “You have never been in control.” In that moment, the cognitive knowledge about God being in control became experiential truth. And that truth has provided me with great peace and calm ever since. We will all experience times when things must end; but know it is because our great God has bigger and better things for us. Just think, if Israel never left Egypt, we would not have the Old or New Testament.

May the God who is in control give you peace and calm in ending one place in life and move you on to the bigger and better things He has planned for your life.

Contributed by: Melissa Schultz, Cypress Elder

Oh God thank you for this year and that all things end. By your grace and peace let everything we have learned bear fruit in our lives so that your light may shine upon us and others.

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.  When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.  “I am willing,” he said.  “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.  Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Yet the news about him spread all the more, so the crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sickness.  Luke 5:12-15 

“Loves, listen to me: The wounded become the healers.  Your pain will not be wasted.  Trust it.  Be brave enough to be still in it and you’ll learn that your pain will NOT consume you-it will become the fire you burn to light and warm the world.” Glennon Doyle

It is so much easier to understand the “bigger picture” in retrospect; to see why God took you down the specific path in your journey, especially if that path is rocky or painful.  In the moment it can feel insanely hard, especially when you’re moving in the direction that God has called you.  There are times when you question your direction and wonder if all the effort is worth it.  If you’re in one of these moments, it might help to remember that His ways are not our ways.  While we only see a tiny piece of the journey at a time, He sees the beauty of His plan unfolding.  Rest patiently in the knowledge that “the end of a matter is better than its beginning."  He may be using this current struggle to start a fire that ignites something beautiful and magnificent in this world.   

May the God who is in control give you peace and calm in ending one place in life and move you on to the bigger and better things He has planned for your life.

Contributed by: Keith Killen, Cypress Tribe Member

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me and may You teach me to demonstrate my faith in you through obedience as you call me into new beginnings. And when my faith faulters, will you send your Spirit to lift me up.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. – Isaiah 43:18-19

The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” – John Pierpont “J.P.” Morgan

When things are going well in my life, I tend to get comfortable and complacent. I don’t look for new opportunities and callings the Lord has for me. It usually takes some suffering to wake me up and realize there is a new beginning awaiting my obedience and faithfulness.

May your Heavenly Father bless you as you move into the new beginnings He has for you. And may He help you to trust in His faithfulness such that you are free to be the person you were made to be, able to accomplish your purposes and to bring honor and glory to His name.

Contributed by: Marq Caughell, Cypress Tribe Member

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me and may You teach me to demonstrate my faith in you through obedience as you call me into new beginnings. And when my faith faulters, will you send your Spirit to lift me up.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. - Proverbs 1:7

“To the divine providence it has seemed good to prepare in the world to come for the righteous good things, which the unrighteous shall not enjoy; and for the wicked evil things, by which the good shall not be tormented.” - from The City of God by St. Augustine

You are scared, aren’t you? It’s ok to admit it. The first step is simply to ask for help. That can be your best beginning.

May your Heavenly Father bless you as you move into the new beginnings He has for you. And may He help you to trust in His faithfulness such that you are free to be the person you were made to be, able to accomplish your purposes and to bring honor and glory to His name.

Contributed by: Douglas Poole, Lead Pastor

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me and may You teach me to demonstrate my faith in you through obedience as you call me into new beginnings. And when my faith faulters, will you send your Spirit to lift me up.

Your beginnings will seem humble, yet you will end with much. -Job 8:7

A journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step. -Chinese Proverb

Jesus invites us into a community where imperfect people can find acceptance, love, forgiveness, and a new beginning. -Erwin McManus

If we wait for the perfect day under the perfect sun when all of our ducks are in a row, and all of our questions have been answered, and we have all that we think we need…we may very well wait until we die. A new beginning, a fresh start awaits all who will by faith take that first step, and then the next, and so on…so start walking. The future awaits those with the faith and courage to step into it.

May your Heavenly Father bless you as you move into the new beginnings He has for you. And may He help you to trust in His faithfulness such that you are free to be the person you were made to be, able to accomplish your purposes and to bring honor and glory to His name.

Contributed by: Jacque Poole, Cypress Tribe Member

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me and may You teach me to demonstrate my faith in you through obedience as you call me into new beginnings. And when my faith faulters, will you send your Spirit to lift me up.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. -Proverbs 9:10

When God gives you a new beginning, you might have to witness closed doors, but make sure that you aren’t disappointed by it.

You must understand that only when you see an ending, you can expect a new beginning coming ahead in your life.

Be thankful for the closed doors, as they will lead you to a new beginning. Know that God will always have better plans than you, and when he closes a door, he will pave your path towards a new way!

When God gives you a new beginning, it starts with an ending. It is more like finishing off a chapter before you start a new one. Do not lose your hope when the doors get closed, rather know that they have closed only because new doors are waiting ahead to be opened.  -Unkown

As we begin a new year, 2022, there are doors that have closed. But God is opening new doors. Seek wisdom and understanding.  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

Remember, that beginnings don’t only happen on January 1 of each year. But beginnings occur each day, each moment. You don’t have to wait for a new month, or a new year. God gives you a new beginning whenever you need it. Seek wisdom and understanding from God. Ponder where God is leading you. Be ready as you gain wisdom and understanding through your commitment to Jesus.

May your Heavenly Father bless you as you move into the new beginnings He has for you. And may He help you to trust in His faithfulness such that you are free to be the person you were made to be, able to accomplish your purposes and to bring honor and glory to His name.

Contributed by: Taylor Fletcher, Worship Leader

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me and may You teach me to demonstrate my faith in you through obedience as you call me into new beginnings. And when my faith faulters, will you send your Spirit to lift me up.

Those who remain from the kingdom of Judah will be like plants. Once more they will put down roots and produce fruit. Out of Jerusalem will come those who remain. Out of Mount Zion will come those who survive. “The Lord’s great love will make sure that happens. He rules over all. -2 Kings 19:30-31 NIRV

“I can see clearly now the rain is gone, I can see all obstacles in my way

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It's gonna be a bright, Bright sunshiny day” -Jimmy Cliff

God almost always works beginnings from rubble. He seldom bust up something beautiful to build it back again. Jesus death and resurrection alone should be enough evidence. Wherever you are on your journey thank God for your beginning and how He works in life.

May your Heavenly Father bless you as you move into the new beginnings He has for you. And may He help you to trust in His faithfulness such that you are free to be the person you were made to be, able to accomplish your purposes and to bring honor and glory to His name.

Contributed by: Melissa Schultz, Cypress Elder

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me and may You teach me to demonstrate my faith in you through obedience as you call me into new beginnings. And when my faith faulters, will you send your Spirit to lift me up.

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.  When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.  “I am willing,” he said.  “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.  Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Yet the news about him spread all the more, so the crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sickness.  Luke 5:12-15 

“Loves, listen to me: The wounded become the healers.  Your pain will not be wasted.  Trust it.  Be brave enough to be still in it and you’ll learn that your pain will NOT consume you-it will become the fire you burn to light and warm the world.” Glennon Doyle

It is so much easier to understand the “bigger picture” in retrospect; to see why God took you down the specific path in your journey, especially if that path is rocky or painful.  In the moment it can feel insanely hard, especially when you’re moving in the direction that God has called you.  There are times when you question your direction and wonder if all the effort is worth it.  If you’re in one of these moments, it might help to remember that His ways are not our ways.  While we only see a tiny piece of the journey at a time, He sees the beauty of His plan unfolding.  Rest patiently in the knowledge that “the end of a matter is better than its beginning."  He may be using this current struggle to start a fire that ignites something beautiful and magnificent in this world.   

May your Heavenly Father bless you as you move into the new beginnings He has for you. And may He help you to trust in His faithfulness such that you are free to be the person you were made to be, able to accomplish your purposes and to bring honor and glory to His name.

Contributed by: Melissa Schultz, Cypress Elder

God, help us to demonstrates the fruits of the Spirit as we go through each day such that we are blessed and others see You through us.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words Romans 8:26

“The impoverished orphan of Russia, the distraught widow of the battlefield, the aging saint in the convalescent home.  They may think they have no voice, no clout, no influence, but they have a friend.  They have a counselor, a comforter—the blessed Spirit of God, who speaks the language of heaven in heaven.  None of us pray as much as we should, but all of us pray more than we think because the Holy Spirit turns our sighs into petitions and tears into entreaties.  He speaks for you and He protects you.  And He makes sure you are heard, He makes sure you get home.” -Max Lucado

Who are we that He hears the deepest longings of our heart, and speaks for us, to protect us even when we can’t find the words?  I think the answer is less about who we are, and more about who He is.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within you, would you be able to accomplish infinitely more than you can ask or imagine. Submitting to the Spirit and letting Him have full sway in your life.

Contributed by: Keith Killen, Cypress Tribe Member

God, help us to demonstrates the fruits of the Spirit as we go through each day such that we are blessed and others see You through us.

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? - Luke 11:13

If you analyzed the actions you performed yesterday, what conclusions would you draw about who you are? Would you see God’s “image” in those actions? Would you find the fruit of the Spirit in what you did? Or would you have to admit that your claims to be a follower were not expressed in the real actions you performed? What kind of verb are you going to be today? – Dr Skip Moen

When I analyze my yesterday’s, I realize there is a lot of opportunity for growth and improvement, and I realize more time in God’s presences is needed. And thank God I am part of a tribe that helps me in this pursuit.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within you, would you be able to accomplish infinitely more than you can ask or imagine. Submitting to the Spirit and letting Him have full sway in your life.

Contributed by: Marq Caughell, Cypress Tribe Member

God, help us to demonstrates the fruits of the Spirit as we go through each day such that we are blessed and others see You through us.

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. - Galatians 5:16

“Awake more fully: the majesty of God cannot be propitiated by that which defiles the dignity of man.” - from The City of God by St. Augustine

God does not ask me to clean myself before approaching Him, but if I desire to join in His work in this world, then I am going to have him let Him cleanse me with His Spirit.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within you, would you be able to accomplish infinitely more than you can ask or imagine. Submitting to the Spirit and letting Him have full sway in your life.

Contributed by: Jacque Poole, Cypress Tribe Member

God, help us to demonstrates the fruits of the Spirit as we go through each day such that we are blessed and others see You through us.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever- John 14:16

Some old translations of the Bible speak of the ‘Holy Ghost’ and this can make him seem a little frightening. The Holy Spirit is not a ghost but a Person. He has all the charac­teristics of personhood. He thinks (Acts 15:28), speaks (Acts 1:16), leads (Romans 8:14) and can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30). He is sometimes described as the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9) or the Spirit of Jesus (Acts 16:7). He is the way in which Jesus is present with his people. The schoolchild’s definition is ‘Jesus’ other self.

What is he like? He is sometimes described in the original Greek as the parakletos (John 14:16). This is a difficult word to translate. It means ‘one called alongside’–—a counsellor, a comforter and an encour­ager. Jesus said the Father will give you ‘another’ coun­sellor. The word for ‘another’ means ‘of the same kind’. In other words, the Holy Spirit is just like Jesus.

Today I read Proverbs 21:21, “Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.” I have found that I am capable of doing amazing things…but when I do my life with the power of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, it is even more incredible.

Let’s pursue righteousness and love…as we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sent to us as our advocate forever. Life, prosperity and honor will be ours. (Click here for the song “Holy Spirit, You are Welcome Here”)

Through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within you, would you be able to accomplish infinitely more than you can ask or imagine. Submitting to the Spirit and letting Him have full sway in your life.

Contributed by: Douglas Poole, Lead Pastor

God, help us to demonstrates the fruits of the Spirit as we go through each day such that we are blessed and others see You through us.

And with that He (Jesus) breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit”. -John 20:22

Over the course of my life I have witnessed people say and do some rather bizarre things which they attributed to the Holy Spirit of God. A mentor once told me that the Holy Spirit of God is the Spirit of Jesus…so if you can’t imagine Jesus saying or doing something, well you probably have your answer. Then he added, but don’t throw the proverbial baby out with the dirty bath water. For the Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus to guide you, speak to you, and to empower you to good. The Holy Spirit is Jesus with you…so welcome Him. -Douglas Poole

There are some mystery’s in my journey of faith. Things I do not fully understand yet fully know to be true. I have never seen the Holy Spirit of God yet I have so many times seen and experienced His presence and work just like I have never seen the wind but have seen and experienced the effect of the wind. The invisible was made known by it’s impact on that which is visible. And I know that which Jesus breaths out…I want to breath in.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within you, would you be able to accomplish infinitely more than you can ask or imagine. Submitting to the Spirit and letting Him have full sway in your life.

Contributed by: Taylor Fletcher, Worship Leader

God, help us to demonstrates the fruits of the Spirit as we go through each day such that we are blessed and others see You through us.

Do not quench the spirit – 1 Thessalonians 5:19

 “I don’t want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit” -Francis Chan, “Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit”

The Holy Spirit is the person of God responsible for doing the extraordinary acts of God from the first verses (Genesis 1:2) to the last verses (Revelation 22:17) of the bible. He is a part of anyone’s life who is following Jesus (1 Corinthians 3:16). What events or behaviors in your life can only be explained by the Holy Spirits love and involvement in your life?

Through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within you, would you be able to accomplish infinitely more than you can ask or imagine. Submitting to the Spirit and letting Him have full sway in your life.

Contributed by: Keith Killen, Cypress Tribe Member

God, help us to not just read the scriptures, but to allow You to speak to us through it. For it is your revelations that brings life change and renewal as lies are revealed and replaced with Your truth that sets us free.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirits, joints, and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. – Hebrew 4:12

When we read Scripture without listening to God, Scripture is sabotaged. -Eugene Peterson

While reading the scriptures has great value, it hasn’t brought much change to my life until God revealed the truth of it to me through revelation. I remember being very angry with my parents for being late when I needed the car but due to circumstances beyond their control. In my anger, I was impressed to read my scriptures for that day. Although I had read Ephesian 4:26 many times, that night when I read; “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” the Lord struck my heart for being so angry with my parents. Since the Lord had calmed me down, I was able to see the concern on my parents faces when they got home knowing they were making me late. I could also see the relief on their faces when I said it was ok, I know it was not your intent. I’m glad God chooses to speak to me when I need it and am willing to listen.

Lord, thank you for your desire to commune with us personally through your revelations of truth. Help us to be willing to take time and listen when you speak such that we might experience life change and freedom.

Contributed by: Taylor Fletcher, Worship Leader

God, help us to not just read the scriptures, but to allow You to speak to us through it. For it is your revelations that brings life change and renewal as lies are revealed and replaced with Your truth that sets us free.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. – Psalm 119

“Sweating bullets to line up the Bible with our exhausting expectations, to make the Bible something it’s not meant to be, isn’t a pious act of faith, even if it looks that way on the surface. It’s actually thinly masked fear of losing control and certainty, a mirror of an inner disquiet, a warning signal that deep down we do not really trust God at all.” ― Peter Enns, The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It

While the bible is the written word of God, the word of God is not simply the bible. The bible itself testifies to this. Whenever we approach the bible looking for rules or for it to defend or approve of something in our lives we will be disappointed and miss the whole point of the bible and the word of God. We may hear the Living Word of God by coming to the bible humbly and persistently with a burning desire to find God and live at peace with Him.

Lord, thank you for your desire to commune with us personally through your revelations of truth. Help us to be willing to take time and listen when you speak such that we might experience life change and freedom.

Contributed by: Douglas Poole, Lead Pastor

God, help us to not just read the scriptures, but to allow You to speak to us through it. For it is your revelations that brings life change and renewal as lies are revealed and replaced with Your truth that sets us free.

My sheep listen to my voice, I know them and they follow me. -Jesus (John 10:27)

Who do we become when we stop allowing all the voices in our head to crowd out the one voice we must hear to come to life. -Erwin McManus

Oh the beautiful mystery that God would speak to us. And He does. If we but listen, we hear Him in creation, in a whisper to our soul, in the words of another, in the print of a page, in the lyrics of a song, and certainly in the pages of scripture. That is why every day I am in the scriptures for they are the definitive voice through which God speaks. And I know how desperately I need to hear His voice to live the life I long for…so I am depositing the scriptures in my heart.

Lord, thank you for your desire to commune with us personally through your revelations of truth. Help us to be willing to take time and listen when you speak such that we might experience life change and freedom.

Contributed by: Jacque Poole, Cypress Tribe Member

God, help us to not just read the scriptures, but to allow You to speak to us through it. For it is your revelations that brings life change and renewal as lies are revealed and replaced with Your truth that sets us free.

As for God, His way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him. -Psalm 18:30

Word of God speak

Would you pour down like rain

Washing my eyes to see

Your majesty

To be still and know

That You’re in this place

Please let me stay and rest

In Your holiness

Word of God speak

I’m finding myself in the midst of You

Beyond the music, beyond the noise

All that I need is to be with You

And in the quiet hear Your voice

Word of God speak

---Word of God Speak; song by MercyMe

I encourage you to take time today to meditate on Psalm 18:30 and the lyrics. Read them through at least 3 times as you talk to God. Then stop. Listen. Or perhaps you can stop and listen to the song and make it your prayer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JK_6osCH74

Lord, thank you for your desire to commune with us personally through your revelations of truth. Help us to be willing to take time and listen when you speak such that we might experience life change and freedom.

Contributed by: Marq Caughell, Cypress Tribe Member

God, help us to not just read the scriptures, but to allow You to speak to us through it. For it is your revelations that brings life change and renewal as lies are revealed and replaced with Your truth that sets us free.

So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. - Isaiah 55:11

“There is, then, a wicked mediator, who separates friends, and a good Mediator, who reconciles enemies. And those who separate are numerous, because the multitude of the blessed are blessed only be their participation in the one God….and by their very number [try to] prevent us from reaching that one beatific good, to obtain which we need not many but one Mediator, the uncreated Word of God, by whom we are blessed.” - from The City of God by St. Augustine

The Word of God is alive, unchanging and constructively at work. The chattering voices of the world are always changing, in conflict with each other, proclaiming to you how they think you should live your best life. Question those voices, interrogate them and test if and how they align with the example of Jesus.

Lord, thank you for your desire to commune with us personally through your revelations of truth. Help us to be willing to take time and listen when you speak such that we might experience life change and freedom.

Contributed by: Melissa Schultz, Cypress Elder

God, help us to not just read the scriptures, but to allow You to speak to us through it. For it is your revelations that brings life change and renewal as lies are revealed and replaced with Your truth that sets us free.

All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 

“We trust.  We rely solely upon God’s ability to catch us.  As we do, a wonderful thing happens: we find peace.  We find joy.  We find it is possible to be anxious for nothing.” Max Lucado 

The answer feels so simple.  When we are worried, we should turn to God’s word.  When we are anxious, we should turn to God’s word.  When we are full of fear and pain and heartache, and feel unable to determine our next step, we should turn to God’s word.  His word points us toward the truth.  It serves as a light to illuminate our path.  It guides us in righteousness.  It is nourishment for our weary soul.  When you feel unsteady, uncertain, or simply need the breath of wisdom, turn to scripture. 

Lord, thank you for your desire to commune with us personally through your revelations of truth. Help us to be willing to take time and listen when you speak such that we might experience life change and freedom.

Contributed by: Taylor Fletcher, Worship Leader

Thank You God for providing the means for us to enter into your family. How and why you would accomplish this is beyond my comprehension, but I am so glad you did it.

He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – Ephesians 1:5

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart -Jeremiah 1:5

Your true identity is as a child of God. This is the identity you have to accept. Once you have claimed it and settled in it, you can live in a world that gives you much joy as well as pain. You can receive the praise as well as the blame that comes to you as an opportunity for strengthening your basic identity, because the identity that makes you free is anchored beyond all human praise and blame. You belong to God, and it is as a child of God that you are sent into the world. – Henri Nouwen

God’s fatherhood in the bible, apart from Jesus, is never thought of in a biological sense, it's relational. He takes pleasure in the offer of sonship/daughtership. We are chosen by God to be His children but we have to accept it. Do you act as if your true identity is as a child of God?

May you accept the provisions of God to enter into His family as a beloved child. May this relationship bring peace and assurance in all of life’s situations and circumstances.

Contributed by: Marq Caughell, Cypress Tribe Member

Thank You God for providing the means for us to enter into your family. How and why you would accomplish this is beyond my comprehension, but I am so glad you did it.

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. - 1 John 3:1

“Fitly, therefore, does Isaac, the child of promise, typify the children of grace, the citizens of the free city, who dwell together in everlasting peace, in which self-love and self-will have no place, but a ministering love that rejoices in the common joy of all, of many hearts makes one, that is to say, secures a perfect concord.” - from The City of God by St. Augustine

I am not a very good sibling. I look out for my own needs first and get frustrated when I am asked to do something for my brother or sister that I feel they should do on their own. I have both taken my inheritance and run towards selfish fun and I have also judged, from a position of privilege, those who have done the same. I have divided the world into what I think is mine and what I think should be theirs. Father, help me to become a real brother to my fellow siblings made in Your image.

May you accept the provisions of God to enter into His family as a beloved child. May this relationship bring peace and assurance in all of life’s situations and circumstances.

Contributed by: Douglas Poole, Lead Pastor

Thank You God for providing the means for us to enter into your family. How and why you would accomplish this is beyond my comprehension, but I am so glad you did it.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! -1 John 3:1

Oh yes sweet darling

So glad you are a child of mine

Child of mine, Child of mine

Oh yes sweet darling

So glad you are a child of mine  -Carol King

I think the Heavenly Father sings these words over you. And maybe proudly displays the picture of you He keeps on the desk next to the throne of heaven. Loved, chosen, wanted by the Father. What great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that…is what we are!

May you accept the provisions of God to enter into His family as a beloved child. May this relationship bring peace and assurance in all of life’s situations and circumstances.

Contributed by: Melissa Schultz, Cypress Elder

Thank You God for providing the means for us to enter into your family. How and why you would accomplish this is beyond my comprehension, but I am so glad you did it.

And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. Galatians 4:6-7

“When my daughter was a toddler, I used to take her to a park not far from our apartment. One day as she was playing in a sandbox, an ice-cream salesman approached us. I purchased her a treat, and when I turned to give it to her, I saw her mouth was full of sand. Where I had intended to put a delicacy, she had put dirt.

Did I love her with dirt in her mouth? Absolutely. Was she any less of my daughter with dirt in her mouth? Of course not. Was I going to allow her to keep the dirt in her mouth? No way. I loved her right where she was, but I refused to leave her there. I carried her over to the water fountain and washed out her mouth. Why? Because I love her.

God does the same for us. He holds us over the fountain. "Spit out the dirt, honey," our Father urges. "I've got something better for you." And so he cleanses us of filth; immorality, dishonesty, prejudice, bitterness, greed. We don't enjoy the cleansing; sometimes we even opt for the dirt over the ice cream. "I can eat dirt if I want to!" we pout and proclaim. Which is true—we can. But if we do, the loss is ours. God has a better offer.” Max Lucado

Oh the times I’ve settled for a lesser plan than what God had in store.  I think of those times I pushed aside his nudging and stayed too long…in that job, in that relationship, in that pain.  And yet, despite me choosing less, He continues to love me right where I am, refusing to leave me in the mess.  He continues to nudge, to remind me that I’m not alone, to walk with me toward His beautiful future created just for me.

May you accept the provisions of God to enter into His family as a beloved child. May this relationship bring peace and assurance in all of life’s situations and circumstances.

Contributed by: Keith Killen, Cypress Tribe Member

Thank You God for providing the means for us to enter into your family. How and why you would accomplish this is beyond my comprehension, but I am so glad you did it.

who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:13

If this is the allusion John has in mind, then he is telling his very savvy readers that God’s children are not produced by any human line either.  I can’t claim citizenship in the Kingdom because of my parentage or heritage or ancestry.  Not by ancestry, not by sexual procreation, not by ethnic affiliation.  None of the usual ways a Jewish reader in the first century might consider.  By miracle alone. By God’s own desire and no other. – Dr Skip Moen

To be a part of the family of God, creator of the universe, is a mind blower for me. He who demonstrates and models the definition of good desires for me, a lowly sinner, to join his family. But not only does He desire it, He provides the means to make it happen as only He can do.

May you accept the provisions of God to enter into His family as a beloved child. May this relationship bring peace and assurance in all of life’s situations and circumstances.

Contributed by: Jacque Poole, Cypress Tribe Member

Thank You God for providing the means for us to enter into your family. How and why you would accomplish this is beyond my comprehension, but I am so glad you did it.

 “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God”. --John 1:12-13

I believed that there was a God because I was told it by my grandmother and later by other adults. But when I found that I knew not only that there was God but that I was a child of God, when I understood that, when I comprehended that, more than that, when I internalized that, ingested that, I became courageous.

I'm convinced that I'm a child of God. That's wonderful, exhilarating, liberating, full of promise. But the burden which goes along with that is, I'm convinced that everybody is a child of God. . . -Maya Angelou

I made the decision to ask to be a child of God when I was in 3rd grade. It took me 8 years, because I thought “Jesus loves me…” was an extravagant ruse of the adult world. I thought Jesus fell into the Santa Claus, Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy category. There was a turning point when my Great Grandmother told me how she had become a child of God and it changed her life. I tell you now as a grandmother, it is real. You are invited to become God’s child too. The best decision of my life.

I am a Child of God, Yes, I AM!! (link to Hillsong “Who You Say I am”)

May you accept the provisions of God to enter into His family as a beloved child. May this relationship bring peace and assurance in all of life’s situations and circumstances.

Contributed by: Douglas Poole, Lead Pastor

Lord, help me to know what being a disciple really means and allow me to live it daily, in honor of You and Your blessings.

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, f you love one another.  -Jesus (John 13:35)

A disciple just doesn’t want to know what the Rabbi knows. A disciple wants to be like the Rabbi and wants to learn to do what the Rabbi does.  -Rob Bell

It’s love. Plain and simple…it’s love. Learning, studying, memorizing are all good. But without love it’s just clanging cymbals, pride, and gamesmanship. If you want to go deep…dive into love. If you want to be like Jesus…begin, end and continue in love. You want to take a stand for Jesus…stand in love. The distinguishing and defining mark of a true disciple of Jesus is…l-o-v-e.  

May we become real disciples by learning and doing, as God graciously brings truth and life change. Lord, thank you for your ability to transform us into those who not only know the truth but live it also.

Contributed by: Marq Caughell, Cypress Tribe Member

Lord, help me to know what being a disciple really means and allow me to live it daily, in honor of You and Your blessings.

This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. - John 15:8

“Yet they placed the chief end of life within bounds so diverse and contradictory, that the first made the delight of the body the chief good, while the other asserted that man was made happy mainly by the virtue of the mind. The one also said that the wise man should flee the republic; the other, that he should administer its affairs. Yet, did not each gather disciples to follow his own sect?” - from The City of God by St. Augustine

There is no shortage of false prophets or those who would take pleasure in being your master, dictating the direction of your life. A tree is known by the fruit it bears. Examine the fruit before you sink your teeth in. Does the fruit provide lasting sustenance or is it riddled with worms?

May we become real disciples by learning and doing, as God graciously brings truth and life change. Lord, thank you for your ability to transform us into those who not only know the truth but live it also.

Contributed by: Jacque Poole, Cypress Tribe Member

Lord, help me to know what being a disciple really means and allow me to live it daily, in honor of You and Your blessings.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20

Being a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ means to learn from Him and to stay close to Him. These two requirements were essential for Christ’s disciples then, and likewise are necessary for followers of Christ today.

When Christ called His first disciples He simply said, “Follow Me.”

These humble fishermen responded by leaving their careers, their possessions, and even their families to follow Him (Matthew 4:18-22).

A parallel passage in Luke 5:1-11 uses the phrase “they forsook all” as they began this new journey with Jesus. The word “forsake” literally means that they turned their back on their former lives. It implies a choice and a commitment.

This wasn’t just a part-time project for them where they could change their minds in a few days and go back to their profession as fishermen. They left everything — and by doing so they were making a promise to complete the course and finish this new assignment. -Mel Walker, president of Vision for Youth

Over the years being a disciple of God has been a challenge. When I was young, I found time to read the Bible and pray and love others. Then as a mom of 4 children dealing with depression, finding time to read the Bible was difficult. Praying was done on the run. Loving others was exhausting. I didn’t turn my back on God. He certainly didn’t turn His back on me. He held me, helped me and loved me. As a disciple of God, I have learned that He is with me always.

I am in a different place in my life…I find time to meditate, read, pray, worship and love. He is with me always. Here I Am to Worship by Hillsong https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cATjB1ktEMw

May we become real disciples by learning and doing, as God graciously brings truth and life change. Lord, thank you for your ability to transform us into those who not only know the truth but live it also.

Contributed by: Keith Killen, Cypress Tribe Member

Lord, help me to know what being a disciple really means and allow me to live it daily, in honor of You and Your blessings.

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.” Matthew 10:24

In the school where Jesus teaches, enrollment alone doesn’t count.  Being a disciple means a lot more than simply showing up for class.  It’s not even about taking notes and reading the books.  It’s about listening, understanding and acting accordingly.  Jesus’ disciples are the ones who put His instruction into action.  Jesus teaches Living 101 and the only way to pass is to exhibit the results in daily behavior. – Dr Skip Moen

It is one thing to learn but totally another to do. When I learn something, I know it cognitively but it does not really change my life. However, when God reveals the truth of what I know, it becomes experiential truth and changes how I live. As God reveals truth to me and I see life change, it becomes easier to not just know the truth but to live it. Living the Word before others is the greatest witness and testimony to others, especially to your family and friends.

May we become real disciples by learning and doing, as God graciously brings truth and life change. Lord, thank you for your ability to transform us into those who not only know the truth but live it also.

Contributed by: Melissa Schultz, Cypress Elder

Lord, help me to know what being a disciple really means and allow me to live it daily, in honor of You and Your blessings.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

“We need to remember that the first disciples were ordinary men called to an extraordinary mission.  Before we turned them into stain-glassed saints in the windows of our cathedrals, Peter, John, and all the rest were just regular guys, trying to make a living and get along in life.  They weren’t seminary grads or spiritual giants.  They didn’t possess superhuman qualities.  The most we can say about them is that their devotion to Jesus outweighed- by hair- their fears and insecurities.  As a result, God changed them and used them to accomplish some mind-boggling things.  Why couldn’t God-why wouldn’t God-do the same thing in and through you and me? Max Lucado

I love that Jesus isn’t seeking perfection.  He doesn’t require us to have certain credentials or to be the smartest, the most devoted, or the most brilliant in the room to be used for the good of His kingdom.  He doesn’t sift between applicants and move some of us to the pile of “worthy” and others to the “not quite” pile.  The fact is that each and every one of us has unique gifts to contribute.  We’ve been created for a specific purpose, and through our experiences and gifts, we each have an opportunity to have an impact within His kingdom.    

May we become real disciples by learning and doing, as God graciously brings truth and life change. Lord, thank you for your ability to transform us into those who not only know the truth but live it also.

Contributed by: Taylor Fletcher, Worship Leader

Lord, help me to know what being a disciple really means and allow me to live it daily, in honor of You and Your blessings.

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder. – James 2:19

But if you live in life-union with me and if my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask whatever you desire and it will be done. When your lives bear abundant fruit, you demonstrate that you are my mature disciples who glorify my Father! “I love each of you with the same love that the Father loves me. You must continually let my love nourish your hearts. If you keep my commands, you will live in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands, for I continually live nourished and empowered by his love. My purpose for telling you these things is so that the joy that I experience will fill your hearts with overflowing gladness! “So this is my command: Love each other deeply, as much as I have loved you. For the greatest love of all is a love that sacrifices all. And this great love is demonstrated when a person sacrifices his life for his friends. John 15:7-13

“Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you.” -- Dallas Willard

"Disciples of Jesus are those who do not just profess certain views as their own but apply their growing understanding of life in the Kingdom of the Heavens to every aspect of their life on earth." - Dallas Willard.

These words of Jesus are a great definition of what a disciple is. So who are you? Are you simply a believer or a disciple?

May we become real disciples by learning and doing, as God graciously brings truth and life change. Lord, thank you for your ability to transform us into those who not only know the truth but live it also.