Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 25, 2014

His Guiding Light

cb devo aug25“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NKJV)

Ever stumbled in the darkness? Amazing how different a known space feels when light is absent. We reach with our toes to cautiously navigate our step. We stretch hands to feel the edge of familiar to avoid collisions. Yet we inevitably stumble and end up bearing the scars. And then we wonder – why didn’t we simply turn on the light?

Ever watched someone stumbling in their darkness? Carelessly maneuvering with no brightness to guide them. Their world hasn’t changed. God hasn’t changed. Yet His welcomed presence and guiding light has been extinguished for their own illumination.

Darkness attempting to lead through darkness results in major stumbling. We can’t navigate our way through life without His light. We can’t make decisions, even seemingly insignificant ones, without His light to lead us. And the stumbling – well it magnifies, wounds and scars. Deep wells that spiral into further darkness unless we run to Him.

Love the simplicity of Jesus words – if we follow Him then we will not walk in darkness. Guaranteed. Sounds easy but following is hard work. Following means listening, waiting, trusting and not running ahead. Following requires steady movement that doesn’t slip into the shadows. Following means focused intentional copying of the One original God. His integrity, His character, His wisdom, His reactions, His love – duplicating God – the light of His glory shining through us. Where are we walking today?

“Father, we follow many things that don’t serve us well. Teach us to desire the light that leads us to right living, blessed living and abundant living – beautiful reflections of You.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 22, 2014

A Living Sacrifice

Woman with Arms in the Air“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1 (NlV)

Have you ever noticed how motivated we get to lose weight when a big event is coming up? A wedding, milestone birthday, or a high school reunion can quickly make us take a second look at our weight. Our bodies are actually a living sacrifice to God, so on a daily basis we should be paying attention to how we are treating our bodies. If we are going to be offering something to God, we should want it to be our best. However, this is an area that takes a lot of discipline to keep things under control. It takes work to get into shape and to really make sure our bodies are at their best.

It’s not only our physical bodies that we need to present as a living sacrifice, but our daily walk as well. Everything we do and say should honor and glorify God. The verse above written in the Message Bible below helps us put this verse into perspective.

Romans 12:1-2 (The Message) Place Your Life Before God
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

“Dear God, May we focus on presenting our best to You and the world on a daily basis. May every decision, word, action, and attitude reflect You in us.”

For His Glory

Katrina Redman
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Faith, Freedom, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 21, 2014

I Am Not My Own

Bible“Our only power and success comes from God.” 2 Corinthians 3:5 (NIV)

I love writing notes and cards to friends filled with fun, colorful confetti, which flies out in a million pieces once the envelope is opened. The apostle Paul, like me, sent many letters in his lifetime. He had a lot of zeal for God’s word, and his zeal was evident in his letters to the different churches where he ministered. He encouraged and admonished them to do better and be better than they were the day before, when they did not know the Lord.

Paul lived during a time when trade business was performed in the streets and most business negotiations were sealed by a handshake. He was concerned that people would be too hung up on the technicalities of writing and receiving letters of recommendations on behalf of one another. He feared they would forget that they should be concerned about being in tune with God’s word and teachings in such a manner that people would “read” them without needing a piece of paper with a signature to recommend and accept them.

As I read this text, I asked myself, “What message am I passing on to those who cross paths with me in life?” “Am I being true to the God whom I serve by justly depicting Him with my lifestyle, my words, and my actions?” “Am I a good letter of recommendation on behalf of the Almighty God?”

I pray that I will never forget whose I am, versus who I am. Who I am, in the scheme of things is of infinitesimal importance compared to who God is and how I represent His kingdom to the world.

“Lord, You are the Great I Am. You are my all in all. Please forgive me when I forget that without You I am nothing. I need You, Lord.”

For His Glory

Luska Suzano
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Success, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 19, 2014

Step Away From The Shelter

MP900438647[1]“Those who try to hold onto their lives will give up true life. Those who give up their lives for me will hold onto true life.” Matthew 10:39 (NCV)

What’s the one thing that means everything? The place where the most time is spent.  The place where the focus is measured. That is where our treasure lies. The main focus should be on the Lord. Many times it’s on anything but. How much time is spent in prayer? How much time is spent in God’s word? Are the words spoken honoring and glorifying to the Lord?

Many of us will say we lack in our quiet and sharing time. We will say life gets busy with our jobs, our families, and our fill in the blank. A powerful memory from the movie “God’s not dead” from the mom with dementia is

“Many times Satan lets us have everything and not feel the pain, because we have placed ourselves in jail cells. The door is wide open, but we choose not to exit the cell because life is too good. Until, time runs out and the door slams shut.”

Don’t let the door slam shut on your life. Don’t miss out on what God has in store for your life. Step away from the comfortable shelter. Offer your lives to Him to use however he wants. Give him your one thing, give him your treasure, He in turn with give you more to share with others.

“Father, use me for your glory. Help me to rely on you and focus my time and talent to further your kingdom.”

For His Glory,

Debbie Struble
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Success, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 18, 2014

Standing Together

cb devo jun23“Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the leaders and the people and said to them, Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord who is great and glorious and fight for your friends, your families and your homes.” Nehemiah 4:14 (NLT)

Controversy and criticism are Satan’s most effective tools in rendering us vulnerable and helpless. Nehemiah and the Jewish people were diligently rebuilding the walls of protection around Jerusalem and right in their midst stood a few who were just as eager to see them fail. As the leader, Nehemiah saw the effects this criticism was having, and he reminded the people that there is no enemy that can defeat the work of the Lord. Focusing on God’s greatness and glory, Nehemiah challenged his people to hold on and fight for what they believed in.

What do you believe for your family – for yourself? As co-leaders in our homes, we can choose to boldly face our enemies knowing that our mighty God goes before us. We can be free from bondage, insecurities, fear and lukewarm faith as we embark on a building project that lays the foundation for our families to succeed. We can fight for our beliefs, values and morals with the Word of God and the power of prayer. And by positioning our children to live out their faith, we can beat the odds and erect a protective hedge that no enemy dare penetrate.

The God of Nehemiah is the same powerful and mighty God we serve. He stands ready to defend us, He kneels to hear us, He reaches down to touch our lives – Accept His presence and watch in amazement as He builds our families.

“Father help us to consistently live out our faith so our children will see how awesome You are.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 15, 2014

God’s Not Dead!

MP900178801[1]“All those who stand before others and say they believe in me, I will say before my Father in heaven that they belong to me.” Matthew 10:32 (NCV)

Being frugal leads to not seeing movies until they hit Redbox many times. This was the case with the movie “God’s not Dead.” It’s a movie my son couldn’t wait to see. It finally hit Redbox, and we planned a precious family night. My husband blessed us by grilling dinner out then the boys and I sat down to watch the movie. Powerful doesn’t begin to describe the movie. Convicting is the smallest word I can use – watching the reporter with cancer, the professor acknowledging he hated God, the mom with dementia. What if we all stood up and shared the Lord with those around us – if we all stood our ground for what the Lord means to us when we are tested like the student in the class? If we shared freely with everyone we met, lives would be changed. The harvest for the Lord would be expanded.

Why can’t we live boldly for the Lord? Why is it so hard to share our faith? Are we afraid of rejection, being teased as a Jesus follower? Ridiculed? Jesus suffered so much more for us. He loves us even in our ugly. Our lives are not our own. We belong to Jesus. Step up, share Jesus at the grocery store, share Jesus at the hair salon, and share Jesus at the doctor’s office. Don’t let an opportunity go by without telling your story of what Jesus did for you. “God’s not dead, He’s surely alive!” Be bold and tell the world about Jesus.

“Father, give me boldness. Take away my insecurities. Bring people in my path to share what You have done in my life so that their hearts may be opened to You.

For His Glory,

Debbie Struble
TRBC Coffee Break

If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus please respond to this email or comment so we can share what Jesus has done for us, and what He wants to do for you. You are loved.

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 14, 2014

Weeds Be Gone!

cb devo aug14“whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Over time our brick walkways have shifted from the constant thawing and freezing process. Inevitably, the gaps widened, giving grass and weeds an open invitation to grow. Strangely enough, the weeds rose from the depths between bricks separated by the narrowest of margins. My project was to simply kill the unwanted weeds, pulling them, and then fill the gaps with sand. Simple? Yes. Easy? No.

I quickly realized several things. First, weeds grow anywhere. Even without good soil or fertilizer and baked under a scorching sun, weeds never wilt, not even in a drought. Why is that? Beautiful flowers need much coddling to survive but weeds. . . why can’t they be high maintenance?

Secondly, it’s hard to pull out the entire weed. Before spraying on the weed killer, it was nearly impossible to do anything but tear off a few leaves. Sometimes, I had to use pliers to pull out any remnants of the root system. If I failed to do so, it would grow back.

That old annoying sin nature can act very much like pesky weeds. Sin has a way of working its way into the cracks and taking hold. Without a proactive, calculated approach to prevent germination of sin in the first place, the transgressing behavior or thought becomes rooted. The longer it goes unattended, the harder it is to get rid of it. And, the longer it takes us to uproot the sin, the bigger the hole it leaves when it is finally removed.

I dare not be lax in killing the weeds of my life and filling in the cracks. Not with sand as I have been doing on the walkway, but with this:

“Lord, Bring on the poison to kill off the weeds in my life. Help me pull that sin up from the roots for your glory!”

For His Glory

Rebekah Trittipoe (excerpted from Rebekah’s book “Pace Yourself”)
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 13, 2014

Good Nutrition Yields Healthy Lives

cb devo aug 16“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16 (NIV)

I was visiting with a friend when she suddenly stated that she had just had an amazing prayer experience with another friend. She was thankful for the special time and how God had spoken to her through it. Her excitement was very evident. Apparently, she had forgotten how ready God is to hear our prayers and speaks to us when we go to Him in prayer. Sadly, this is the reality for many of us. We allow the busyness of life to take control of all parts of our lives, including our spiritual lives, which gets weaker and fails to yield any fruit.

Prayer is the nutrient that keeps our spiritual lives strong and healthy. Without prayer, our spiritual lives will be weak and without power. In order to keep a healthy spiritual nutrition, we must devote time to reading God’s Word, meditating on it, and praying constantly. Prayer keeps us close to the throne of God, from where all blessings flow.

When I heard my friend’s remark about her spiritual life, I encouraged her to spend time with God, seeking Him in prayer. I offered to be her accountability partner and to pray with her whenever she didn’t feel like she could do it on her own. My friend’s spiritual life is getting healthier and stronger, and she is now eager to help others get spiritually healthy as well.

“Dear God, thank You for being ever present in our midst. Please forgive us for not listening to You at times. It is our prayer that we will get closer to You and hear you better.”

For His Glory

Luska Suzano
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Prayer, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 12, 2014

Eternity Begins Here

cb devo aug13“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:4 ESV)

Every day I leave the house with a gym bag, purse, lunch bag, accessory bag, and a bag for books or an extra pair of shoes. I stagger down the front steps balancing the coffee I can’t bear to give up (even if it means catapulting headfirst down the stairs!), throw it all in the car, go to work, come home, and do it again the next day. Sometimes the days run together and I forget why I am even spinning all these plates – until I reflect on John 17.

John Chapter 17 is often called ‘The High Priestly Prayer’; the prayer Jesus prayed shortly before He was arrested. This prayer is much like a soldier reporting the completion of a mission. In it, Jesus attests that He has completed the work He set out to do: to glorify God and bring eternal life to the people on earth. But then He says something even more profound: “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God…” (John 17:4, emphases mine)

Eternal life doesn’t start after death. It starts now, here, in the stumbling, mediocre, monotonous times. Eternal life is not so much quantity as quality. It is abundant life: a life only found by knowing God and His Son Jesus better every day. Each day we seek to know Him more intimately, we live more abundantly! With this in mind, death is simply a passageway to a better knowledge of our Lord. We have eternal life because death has no power over us. We go from life to life!

“Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for taking away the sting of death and providing a way for me to live abundantly on my hardest days. Help me to live today in the knowledge of you.

For His Glory

Phylicia Masonheimer (www.phyliciadelta.com)
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 11, 2014

The Sweetest Sound

Daisies on Piano“Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;” I Chronicles 16:29 (ESV)

Ever played the guessing game? You know just to pass the road trip time. Amazing how many things we remember. Incredible the way we can recognize a voice and name that song. More phenomenal is how we can hear the tune and flawlessly sing those lyrics. Embedded in our minds and souls – the rhythmic beat of our favorite tune or artist. Wonder how we can know so many different voices? We hear just a few lines, an accent here or there, a distinct tone, catchy lyrics and we begin to fill in the gaps. Finish their sentences while moving to the beat. Easy, carefree without even a thought to what we are saying.

Music is a powerful force – worship is an invigorating force. It energizes the weary. Uplifts the broken hearted. Enlightens the hopeless. Soothes and melts the hardest soul. Renews joy and laughter even in the midst of defeat. Sweet connection with the Composer of the Universe. The One who hung every note and orchestrated the most complex melody. Writer of the sweetest worship filling the room captivating our fleeing souls. Surrendered praise reflecting the love we can’t deny.

Whose voice are we listening to? Whose voice do we struggle to recognize? Perhaps we’ve invited too many sounds to distract, deflect and distort the One who compels us to sing a new song. What are we waiting for – lyrics don’t have to rhyme – melodies can be random – a heart of authentic, real worship is the sweetest sound God longs to hear.

“Father, the depths of our praise can never compare to how glorious You are!”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Gratitude, Hope, Worship

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