"Who Will You Choose?" - Friday February 13, 2026

“Who Will You Choose?”

Joshua challenges the Israelites to decide whom they will serve – the Lord or other gods. This is a powerful call for a daily commitment to faith. This call was to Israel centuries ago, but God’s call upon our lives is just as real today. Each day, we choose between serving God or worldly alternatives.

 

When reading the Israelites journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, we’re amazed at how easily they turned away from God. He was leading, protecting, and providing for them daily. Why would they do this? They did it because Satan is a liar, deceiver, and distractor. Satan’s trap is making something really bad look better than good. What he doesn’t show is the end results of following him – shame, guilt, and complete destruction.

 

Jeremiah acted as God’s faithful messenger in spite of many attempts on his life. He was so deeply sorrowful for the fallen condition of Judah that he earned the title “weeping prophet.” The united nation of Israel included the “house of Israel” and the “house of Jacob” (Judah).

 

Jeremiah tried to remind Israel of God’s faithfulness; making sure they wouldn’t forget, since they didn’t have Bibles to read. He emphasized God’s love and reminded them that there was a time when they were close to God. When we read the Bible, we need to learn from history so we can avoid repeating the same failures they did.

 

In Jeremiah chapter two, we read, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water” (v 13). Who would set aside a sparkling spring of water for a cistern, a pit that collected rainwater?

 

God told the Israelites they were doing that very thing when they turned from him, the spring of living water, to the worship of idols. Not only that, but the cisterns they chose were empty and broken. Before criticizing the terrible decisions of the Israelites, look in the mirror. You have the gift of another day - will you follow God and the path He sets before you, or listen to Satan’s lies and follow him? It’s your choice!

 

Pastor Carnes

 

 

"If Satan's Talking - He's Lying!" - Thursday February 12, 2026

“If Satan’s Talking – He’s Lying!”

We all know this phrase: God is Good – All the Time! All the Time – God is Good! Here’s something to be aware of;  Satan lies – all the time! All the time – Satan lies!  Satan’s target is basically everyone, but especially every follower of Christ. Satan hurts God by hurting God’s people. (See Jeremiah chapter one).

 

The Lord tells Jeremiah, “I knew you before you were born and set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” The enemy quickly brings negative thoughts to Jeremiah, “I can’t speak for you, I’m too young!” (1:6).

 

Satan is a master at not only saying, but in convincing us of what we can’t do, or become. The Lord’s response to Jeremiah is the same advice he gives us. “Don’t say, “I’m too young, for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you” (1:7-8).

 

Does this sound familiar … “You can never live a Christian life!” Or “You aren’t good enough; smart enough, you don’t have a winsome personality, you have bad habits you’ll never break, or an addict without the ability to ever be transformed”. Folks, that isn’t God talking – those are the words and thoughts Satan places in your head to keep you from turning to Christ. The Lord speaks truth because He is Truth. Satan speaks lies because he’s a liar!

 

The Lord said, “Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?” He replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.” Then the Lord said, “That’s right, and it means that I am watching and I will certainly carry out all my plans” (vs 11-12 NLT). The almond tree is among the first to blossom in the spring. God saw the sins of Judah and would carry out swift and certain judgement. But He would protect Jeremiah. We will face trials, but God always protects His children.

 

A person living in sin is lost. Jesus came to “seek and to save that which is lost” (Luke 19:10). The Bible describes Satan as a murderer, liar, and father of lies because there is no truth in him (John 8:44) and John 10:10 says he’s a “thief who comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy.” Who do you want to align your life with?  Truth or a liar?

 

Pastor Carnes

 

 

"The Weeping Prophet" - Wednesday February 11, 2026

“The Weeping Prophet”

Jeremiah is an Old Testament prophet whose teachings are valuable to us today. Here are four examples: 1) The majority’s opinion is not necessarily God’s will. 2) Although punishment for sin is severe, there is hope in God’s mercy. 3) God will not accept empty or insincere worship, and 4) Serving God does not guarantee earthly security.

 

Over the next few days, I want to share some things from the writings of Jeremiah. Before doing so, reading his profile taken from the NIV Life Application Bible may help you become better acquainted with him.

 

Endurance is not a common quality. Many people lack the long-term commitment, caring, and willingness that are vital to sticking with a task against all odds. But Jeremiah was a prophet who endured. His very call by God teaches how intimately God knows us. He valued us before anyone else knew we would exist. God cared for us while we were in our mother’s womb. He planned our lives while our bodies were still being formed. He values us more highly than we value ourselves.

 

Jeremiah had to depend on God’s love as he developed endurance. His audiences were usually antagonistic or apathetic to his messages. He was ignored; his life was often threatened. He saw both the excitement of a spiritual awakening and the sorrow of a national return to idolatry. With the exception of King Josiah, Jeremiah watched king after king ignore his warnings and lead people away from God. He saw fellow prophets murdered and was severely persecuted himself.

 

Jeremiah responded to all this with God’s message and human tears. He felt firsthand God’s love for his people and the people’s rejection of that love. But even when he was angry with God and tempted to give up, Jeremiah knew he had to keep going. God had called him to endure.

 

Jeremiah’s life and culture of his day sound very similar to the culture of our day. We can identify with his frustrations and discouragement, but he encourages us to stay strong and faithful to God during dark times.

 

Pastor Carnes

 

 

"Ignorant - Confused - Denial" - Tuesday February 10, 2026

“Ignorant – Confused – Denial”

There’s a lot of confusion and concern about the direction our culture is taking. What was once considered good is now considered evil, and what was evil is now deemed as good. Are people ignorant, confused, or in denial because they prefer to reject truth and righteousness to satisfy their own desires? One may wonder, what’s the benchmark? What’s the dividing line between right and wrong?

 

If you were to ask me, I’d point you to God’s Word. The Bible is God’s Word and explains the differences between right and wrong. It teaches there is a difference between good and evil. Isaiah gives a solemn warning, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (5:20).

 

When people do not carefully observe the distinction between right and wrong or good and evil, destruction will follow. It’s easy for a person to say, “No one can decide for anyone else what is really right or wrong.” They may think getting drunk, using unprescribed drugs, extramarital sex, and a number of other things isn’t really wrong, or that money doesn’t control them. Plus, all of these things lead to lying. This does not lead to a happy life.

 

But if and when we make excuses for our actions, in reality we are breaking down the distinction between right and wrong. If we do not take God’s Word, the Bible as our standard, soon our moral choices will appear fuzzy. Being influenced by another that doing a wrong is okay or won’t hurt you creates confusion leading to the denial of truth. By whose standards are you living – your own? Others? Or God’s?

 

God’s Word teaches you how to live a life that’s pleasing to Him. Living that kind of life keeps us honest, trustworthy, healthy, and reliable. To deny Jesus as truth is at the very least, compromising his teachings.

 

Here’s some good scriptures for you to look up, read and think about: John 14:6, 17:17, 8:32. Second Corinthians 5:10, Hebrews 9:27, and Romans 1:16-32.

 

Pastor Carnes

 

 

 

 

 

"Standing Firm" - Monday February 9, 2026

Standing Firm”

After being picked up at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix last March, our friends asked if we’d ever eaten at an N-Out Burger restaurant. We never had so now there’s an opportunity. Stepping inside the restaurant I immediately sensed something different.

 

Standing in line to order our food, it was evident we were in a Christian owned establishment. When the food was delivered to our table Bible verses were noticed on the cups and wrappers. 

 

The closest N-Out Burger restaurant to Georgia is in Nashville, Tennessee. I’m mentioning this burger place because a Devotional Family Member sent me some information on the owner. As you read her story ask yourself what you can do to stand firm to your spiritual beliefs and convictions.

 

Lynsi Snyder, president of the N-Out Burger, has made it clear that the company will continue printing Bible verses on its cups and wrappers, even in the face of criticism. For her, this is not marketing, politics, or provocation – it is a quiet and consistent expression of the Christian faith that has guided the Snyder family for generations.

 

Although she leads one of the most successful private owned restaurant chains in the world, valued at nearly $ billion, Lynsi has never portrayed herself as self-made. In interviews and testimonies, she has spoken honestly about seasons of deep pain: personal loss, addiction, broken relationships, and failed marriages. Success did not spare her from suffering - and money did not heal her wounds.

 

According to Lynsi, it was Jesus Christ who restored her life. Not overnight, not magically, but through surrender, repentance, and a renewed identity rooted in faith. She has often emphasized that Christ did not simply improve her circumstances, He transformed her heart.

 

Out of that transformation, Lynsi founded a discipleship ministry called the Army of Love, focused on spiritual growth, service, and walking humbly with God. Her leadership philosophy reflects the Gospel itself: servant leadership, humility over ego, and dependance upon God rather than self-reliance. In a culture that increasingly pressures people of faith to stay silent, Lynsi’s stance is simple and steady. The verses will remain – not as a statement against anyone, but as a testimony for Christ.

 

As the scripture says, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Faith, for Lynsi Snyder, is not a brand strategy. It is the foundation. By the way, the 2025 net value for the N-Out Burger is estimated at $7.3 billion.

 

Pastor Carnes

 

 

 

 

"The End of the Story" - Friday February 6, 2026

“The End of the Story”

Have you ever watched a recording of your favorite football team knowing the final score? As much as I love sports, I could probably count on one hand the times I’ve watched a game where the outcome has already been revealed to me.

 

Knowing how things (anything) end, changes the way a person thinks. Their tension goes down because the end of the story has been revealed. When you don’t have to wonder if things will turn out badly, it affects your perspective and your attitude.

 

This is why believers in Christ grieve differently from the rest of the world. It doesn’t mean we don’t hurt or feel sad. When believers lose family members or friends who are also believers, they grieve because they miss the person who is gone, but they also know they are in a far better place – heaven. With God, FOREVER.

 

The pain of loss is real, but the hope of seeing a loved one again is also real. In a sense, we grieve for ourselves because we have to find a way forward without them. But we grieve without fear because we know the end of the story. One day, we will join them in heaven and celebrate with a wonderful reunion.

 

You can have hope, even when there is loss. How? You’ve got to get a bigger picture and a longer view. You have to refocus your attention. You’ve got to stop thinking about just the here-and-now and start living as if there is much more to your story – because there is. This life is not all there is! Jesus said, “He’s going to prepare a place for us…”(John 14:1-6).

 

Don’t forget: You know how the story ends. The “end” is really the beginning – of spending eternity with Christ in heaven and with loved ones and friends and friends who have gone before you. The Living Bible paraphrase says, “So we do not look at what we see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

 

Pastor Carnes

"The Problem with Jealousy" - Thursday February 5, 2026

“The Problem with Jealousy”

Yesterday, through a study of Reuben we learned when we begin to compromise certain things, it begins to erode our convictions. Compromising or “doing your thing,” has become a very popular acceptance in today’s society. When we compromise our standards of life or convictions, we do so by taking something right and reduce it to meet our lifestyle. Removing ourselves from right and truth can lead down on a path of no return.

 

More often than not, the opening story on any news station relates to some sort of violence and in too many cases, a person murdering another. We watch angry crowds as they march in protest destroying anything and everything that gets in their way. Civil conversations are outnumbered by those where people disagree and someone getting angry.

 

Most violent actions stem from jealousy. It’s like, “I want your job … your home … your bank account … your title … or someone else serving in a political position”. Jealousy can lead to anger which can lead to uncontrolled rage, that leads to someone being injured or killed. In the story of Joseph and Reuben, (Genesis 29 – 50) , we find jealousy turning into such hatred, that the brothers actually tried to kill Joseph.

 

Lest we say, “That could never happen to me,” let’s take a look at the commentary on verses 19 and 20 in Genesis chapter 37.

 

Could jealousy ever make you feel like killing someone? Before saying, “Of course not,” look what happened in this story. Ten men were willing to kill their younger brother over a robe and a few reported dreams. Their deep jealousy had grown into ugly rage, completely blinding them to what was right.

 

Jealousy can be difficult to recognize because our reasons for it seem to make sense. But left unchecked, jealousy grows quickly and leads to serious sins. The longer you cultivate jealous feelings, the harder it is to uproot them. The time to deal with jealousy is when you notice yourself keeping score of what others have.

 

Pastor Carnes