"Speak, Lord, I am listening..." - Wednesday April 8, 2026

“Speak Lord, I am listening …”

A popular piece of scripture is found in I Samuel 3:9-10. This is where young Samuel responds to God’s call. Samuel was staying at the home of his mentor, Eli. Lying in bed one night Samuel heard a voice calling him. He mistakes God’s voice for that of Eli’s who gives him these instructions, “If you hear the voice again say, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”

 

Sure enough, God called again and Samuel responded as Eli told him to do. This response signifies a servant’s submission to their master, indicating that the speaker is ready to listen and follow. Samuel’s request are words we can and should use, when earnestly seeking God’s direction. This verse encourages believers to be humble, available, patient, and above all, willing to be obedient.

 

This story illustrates the importance of getting alone with God and shutting off the noise of the outside world. Establishing the habit of intentionally coming before illustrates the desire to hear his voice and foster a deeper relationship with Him.

 

Many people are anxious to hear from God. Sometimes He is speaking but we’re so busy or distracted we can’t hear him. It’s also possible we have strayed so far from Him that He’s speaking, but we don’t recognize is voice. Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep know my voice, and I know them, and they follow me…”.

 

Are you anxious to hear from the Lord? Is your relationship with Him where it ought to be?  Are you willing to find a quiet place, humble yourself before Him and open your heart honestly and sincerely to him? What if you followed these instructions by physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually bowing before God stating, “Lord I need to hear from you. As best I know how, I am listening for your voice – please speak to me for I am willing to be obedient to you.”

 

Talk to the Lord like you would your best friend. He already knows everything about you, so there will be so surprises when you confess your sins. He knows your thoughts and desires. If you are ready to put Him first in everything, I promise, you’ll hear from Him in a way you will understand. God is loving, merciful, kind, and patient. You are special in His sight – His arms are open for you, let Him embrace you.

 

Pastor Carnes

 

"The Danger of Complacency" - Tuesday April 7, 2026

“The Danger of Complacency”

When pastoring, I did my best to work with paid and volunteer staff to keep our ministries and services fresh, uplifting, and filled with expectation. Our spiritual lives should be filled with hope, energy, and anticipation as we walk with God in anticipation. Not just anticipating a wonderful worship experience on Sunday but being aware of God’s presence in our daily lives and allowing Him to work within us.

 

Complacency is a dangerous place to live, and one of Satan’s greatest threats. Complacency is a self-satisfied state of mind that leads to spiritual apathy, laziness, and a lack of vigilance regarding God’s will and often leads to destruction. A complacent life accepts things as they are. “Good enough is good enough.” It doesn’t mean we are doing bad things, but it could mean thinking nothing will improve.

 

Complacency can affect our spiritual life. We can go through the motions without actually connecting with God. We read the Bible, pray, and go to church because we’re expected to. We can do these things though without any expectations of God showing up and doing something miraculous in our life or the life of another.

 

My desire today is to make you aware of one of the devil’s traps. We can convince ourselves all is good, when the truth is, our spiritual light is a flicker at most. Last Sunday every believer realized it was “Resurrection Sunday.” The foundation of the Christian faith is that “The tomb is empty, “ Jesus is alive!

 

Because Jesus rose from the dead, all our sins can be forgiven, our spiritual lives renewed, and hope restored.  The chorus of a great song is, “He lives, he lives, - you ask me how I know he lives – He lives, within my heart!” 

Don’t settle for less than what God has for you. Don’t let the evil one steal your joy or hope but call out to God. Let Him fill your heart with his Spirit. Ask Him to restore the joy of your salvation. Read the Bible knowing it’s God’s love letter to you and that he is providing you special instructions for the day. Pray knowing every word is heard and anticipate God’s answer – accepting the fact His timing and ways are always better than yours.

 

Pastor Carnes 

 

"Easter Sunday is over - Now what?" - Monday April 6, 2026

“Easter Sunday is over – Now what?”

Easter Sunday is over for another year…or is it? The actual 24-hour period may have elapsed, but you will decide whether the news of that historic day is meaningful or not.

 

Resurrection Sunday is my preferred reference to Easter Sunday. We all can pass the story on to our children, grandchildren, and friends. The women went to the tomb where the body of Jesus had been laid after dying on the cross. As Mary Magdalene and the other Mary looked into the tomb, they heard the voice of an angel, “Do not be afraid, for I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, JUST AS HE SAID” (Mark 28:1-6).

 

The Bible says, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). Many of us are well versed when it comes to speaking about the death and resurrection of Jesus, yet often forget that because He lives, we live. Romans 8:11 states that the Spirit of God who raised Jesus lives in believers and will also give life to their mortal bodies.

 

Ephesians 1:19 – 20 highlights that the same power that raised our Lord from the dead is same power that forgives sin and comes into one’s heart and life the moment they repent. It’s this same Spirit that following forgiveness begins renewing our mind, provides another path for us to follow with clear directions. It’s this powerful Spirit God places within us that helps us love the unlovable, to cancel the “I can’t” syndrome and replaces it with, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”

 

The Resurrection story isn’t one to tell once a year. It’s a story of redemption, forgiveness, and transformation. It’s a story every believer repeats day after day by the way they live their life. “He is Risen! – He is Risen indeed!” Just as new life came to Jesus after he died, new life comes to us as we die to sin and become a new creature in Christ Jesus. Do you believe it? Let your life prove it by the way you live.

 

Pastor Carnes

"Unforgettable Experiences" Pt 2 - Friday April 3, 2026

“Unforgettable Experiences” Pt 2:

Easter is the only holiday we celebrate at sunrise – and there’s a beautiful reason for that. On that first Easter morning, everything changed. The tomb was empty. Death was defeated. And a hope was born that has been transforming lives ever since – including yours and mine.

 

After Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot in the Garden, he was immediately arrested. It was late Thursday evening. Before daylight He experienced three separate trials (all illegal because trials were not supposed to be held at night). Jesus stood before the high priests and whole Sanhedrin (similar to our Supreme Court Justices) and was found guilty. It’s sad that, NOT ONE witness came to his defense. Soldiers were ordered to flog him, and he was beaten so severely it was difficult to identify him as a man. In the Garden, just hours before, Jesus had prayed, “Father, if there be any other way, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, NOT MY WILL, but THINE BE DONE!”

 

Hanging on the cross between two thieves, Jesus offered seven sayings. Among them were, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” “John, behold thy mother.” “Father, into thy hands I commit my Spirit,” and lastly, “It is finished”. He then bowed his head and died.

 

An unforgettable experience during our Holy Land trip was entering the cave believed to be where Jesus was buried. The only light in the dark, cool cave was given by a candle sitting on what was like a shelf but big enough that a person could be laid. Standing, staring at the flickering flame, and imagining what actually took place, and filled with emotion, a booming voice behind us said, “HE IS NOT HERE, HE IS RISEN, JUST AS HE SAID!”

 

Good Friday was a very dark day as Jesus died on the cross for each one of us. We now understand that for the Christian, death isn’t the end, but the beginning. Easter Sunday is known as RESURRECTION SUNDAY! Death was defeated when Jesus walked out of the tomb. Because He lives, we also live. His resurrection completed the fulfillment of every purpose for which God sent him into the world. One day we too shall pass, but for the believer and follower of Christ, our last breath here will our first breath in Heaven. On the cross, He said to the repentant thief, “TODAY you will be with me in Paradise!” Because He lives – we can face tomorrow!! HAPPY EASTER!

                                                        HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

 

Pastor Carnes

"Unforgettable Experiences" - Thursday April 2, 2026

“Unforgettable Experiences”

We all have been places, seen things, or witnessed events that will be lodged in our memory for the rest of our lives. In the Spring of 1995 Chris and I were invited to join some very special friends on their trip to the Holy Land. This was an unbelievable experience, and not just because they paid all our expenses.

 

It’s difficult to describe everything we did, saw, learned, and the people we met on this live changing trip. Today is Thursday, 2026. Roll back the calendar a couple thousand, plus years and imagine living in Jerusalem. We call this present time, “Holy Week.” As the crowd was singing and waving Palm branches on Sunday, Jesus knew that within a few days he would be betrayed, beaten, and hung on a cross for the sins of every person ever  born.

 

We personally experienced walking on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, sitting on a dock dangling our feet in the Sea of Galilee. So many things to say, so little space to write it all. Eventually we reached a place and walked up a few steps and was told the place we were standing could have been the “Upper Room” where Jesus had the Last Supper with his disciples. This is where Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and identified Judas Iscariot as his betrayer, who immediately left the room. Our Lord gave thanks and broke bread establishing Holy Communion. As a sidenote, while we were standing and listening to the story, a beautiful dove flew in landing on a shelf.

 

The things mentioned took place in the late afternoon or early evening on Thursday – the day before Jesus would be put to death. Leaving the Upper Room, Jesus led them to a place we know as the Garden of Gethsemane. This Garden still remains as one of my most memorable experiences. To me it was depressing as we walked and looked at the ancient Olive trees with their thick gnarled trunks. Most of which were said to be 900 to 2,000 years old (ironically a symbol of eternal life).

 

Walking through the garden, I noticed a large stone with a protective fence around it. Asking the guide if the stone meant anything, his answer was “Yes, it marks the perceived place Judas Iscariot kissed Jesus identifying him to the Roman soldiers”. Immediately Jesus was chained, taken into custody, and would face three trials before morning. The charges? Claiming to be the Son of God! I’ll never forget the chills that came over me when informed about the stone and mentally as well as emotionally visualizing that scene. Perhaps you will think about it today.

 

Pastor Carnes

 

 

"Motivation -Love or Betrayal?" - Wednesday April 1, 2026

“Motivation - Love or Betrayal?”

Almost everyone can tell you the story of Judas Iscariot. You remember, the disciple who chose to sell out Jesus to the religious leaders of his day for 30 pieces of silver. This amount was also the compensation paid to a slave’s master if a slave was killed by an ox. This amount was estimated to be a laborer’s wages for about 4 months.

 

There’s another story prior to the arrest of Jesus and it’s told in all four Gospels. Matthew and Mark put this event just before the Last Supper, while John puts it just before Jesus’ Triumphal entry. Regardless, the content of the story is the same as it tells of a woman who crashed a party at the home of Simon the Leper where Jesus was spending the night.

 

This woman is identified as Mary (John 12:1-3), the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Mary entered the house carrying an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume and poured it on the head of Jesus. The Bible says the disciples saw this lady as indignant and pouring out this perfume was a waste of money that could be given to the poor. The response of Jesus was, “Why are you bothering her, she has done a beautiful thing. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial” (Matt. 26:6-12).

 

What Jesus says next is very significant, “I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her” (v. 13). If you’ve been in a Bible preaching church for any length of time, you most likely have heard this story. If you haven’t you should have.

 

There’s a huge contrast between the actions of Judas Iscariot and this woman. One was motivated by selfishness and greed, the other by love and devotion to her Lord.  We first meet Mary during a visit Jesus paid to her home. She simply sat at his feet and listened. Our last glimpse of Mary shows her to have become a woman of thoughtful and worshipful action. She seemed to understand better even than the disciples, why Jesus was going to die.

 

Pride, arrogance, and selfishness will block our understanding of God’s love for us. Reading and listening to his Word will teach us “There’s no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend” (John 15:13). That’s what Jesus did for you and me. Mary was moved with compassion because she knew the price Jesus would pay for her sin. That price was His life – the same price he paid for your and my sins.

 

Pastor Carnes

 

"Holy Week" - Tuesday March 31, 2026

“Holy Week”

Many people have an agenda for this week. These plans may include getting our homes ready for guests on Easter Sunday with a nice meal. But have you given thought to preparing your heart for worship on Resurrection Sunday?

 

Jesus was leading his disciples back to Jerusalem, (which would be his final trip), and stopped at Caesarea Philippi. This place was located several miles north of the Sea of Galilee and was highly influenced by Greek and Roman culture. Pagan temples and idols were everywhere. Some say Caesarea Philippi was the evilest place on earth at that time. It was here Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do they (the public) say I am?” Then He got personal, “Who do YOU say I am?” (Matt. 16:15, Mk 8:29, Lk 9:20). He needed to know if they really knew him.

 

Holy Week is a time to remember the last few days of the life of Jesus before He was crucified. Whatever plans you have for this week, compare them with what Jesus was facing? He knew there would be a celebration of his entrance into Jerusalem, but he also knew these same people would watch him die on a cross on Friday.

 

Today we are living in a culture that’s turning its back on Jesus and his Word. Selfishness and personal idols have replaced worshipping the true living God. The Bible is being compromised and Christianity ridiculed. We are standing in our own Caesarea Philippi – surrounded by evil. During the time, we recognize as “Holy Week,” what would you say if Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?”

 

The day after Palm Sunday, Jesus entered the temple in Jerusalem, not as a passive observer, but as a zealous defender of God’s holiness. Seeing the sacred space cluttered with commerce and distraction, He took decisive action to cleanse His Father’s house. This powerful scene reminds that Jesus cares deeply about the condition of our worship and the purity of our hearts.

 

This cleansing of the temple invites us to look inward at the temples of our own lives. Just as the physical temple had become crowded and cluttered with things that obscured its true purpose, so our hearts can be cluttered with the busyness, anxieties, and distractions of the world. As we move through this Holy Week, let’s invite Jesus to do similar work in us. Surrender everything to Christ that is keeping you from being who he wants you to be.

 

Pastor Carnes