choices

July 27, 2026

Be a Chocolate Chip: Stand Out in Life

We need to be a chocolate chip in the cookie dough of life. We are meant to mix our lives into the world around us, but not blend in. Even when the circumstances in our lives become heated. We are to remain steadfast in our beliefs.

Our lives have many different aspects that affect how we relate to others. Like the chocolate chip cookie dough is made up of many ingredients. They all add to the end result. We add flour, butter, sugar, eggs, baking powder, salt, vanilla and blend it together in one large bowl. Do we ever hear anyone say, wow that flour really made those cookies great or that sugar really add to the flavor. Or those eggs really taste better than when I fry them in a pan. Why, you may ask, because they are all mixed together. There is no distinction between them. So we cannot taste the difference.

Chocolate on its own melts and mixes together when heated. The real magic happens when we add chocolate chips to our dough! When mixed in with the cookie dough, the chocolate will stand out. You will then taste the chocolate goodness. They change everything! When you bite into the cookie you can taste the chocolate goodness! They stand out! Even when the heat rises the chocolate chips do not melt. They retain their shape.

Likewise when we act like the world around us, they will see no difference. We are to live in the world, but not to conform to it. We are called to be set apart, even when life’s pressure comes against us. We are to remain the same. steadfast unaffected by the heat. We like the chocolate chips are meant to stand out and not to conform to the world’s standards. Then the world will see Jesus through us. The light of His Holy Spirit will shine through us as we share His love with those around us.

In order to reach the world we need to stand fast in what we believe and know to be true. We must be faithful to what the word says. Like David in the lion’s den, God delivered him because he stayed faithful. You can remain strong and stand firm. God will deliver you too. Joshua led the people into the promised land with God going before him. God will lead you too. Stay set apart. Don’t mix into what”s happening around you. Trust in Him who has called you. We were called with a purpose to spread the Gospel throughout the world. As believers, we are called to remain firm in what we believe and represent Jesus.

What ingredient are you? Are you blending into the dough or are you the Chocolate Chip? Be the chocolate chip in the cookie dough of life!

(adapted from teaching by Jason Beham)

February 23, 2026

To God be the Glory

You will always have control over what you say or do. You will always be in charge of your reactions and feelings. Only you decide the outcome of your situations.

You do not control what another person says or does.
You are not responsible for another persons reactions.
You are only responsible for what you say, do or think.
You are only responsible for you.

You have a choice. Your personal rival can defeat you on their terms or you can fight them on yours. Ultimately, you can rise above the situation and fight with the Holy Spirit on your side. When you handle situations in your own strength, it only brings discouragement, depression, and defeat. Listening to your rival can take you out of your calling and pull you out of your destiny. But, there is good news, in that you ultimately can decide how their words and actions will affect you. Will they best you or bring out the best in you.

You are filled with the Holy Spirit! He is your greatest Ali. That same Spirit, who rose Jesus from the grave, lives in you! Your rival wants you to fight them on their terms with their weapons. We have a better weapon, The Holy Spirit! We can rise above our enemy and fight with truth and love. You must remember to respond to what you can control, rather than what you can’t. Let the Holy Spirit show you how to react in these difficult situations. He will stand with you at all times.

You are a child of the Most High God! Rise above your situations and fight with the Holy Spirit. Develop the Fruit of His Spirit. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control. Remember He is for you and not against you. He knew you before you were created and He numbered all your days. Trust in Him, pray, and allow Him to guide you.

Fight evil, stand with God.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 “for I know the thoughts that I think towards you says the Lord. thoughts of peace and not evil to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to me, and I will listen to you and you will seek Me and find Me. When you search for me with your heart. I will br found by you says the Lord and I will bring you back from your captivity.”

August 8, 2021August 18, 2021

Taking it to God

Have you talked to God about it?

Before making any decisions about what to do with your life ,family, jobs and daily choices that confront you, do you stop to seek God’s wisdom? When we come to decisions about choices we have to make, it is important to stop and listen. Come into a quiet place and rest a minute to hear the counsel of your Heavenly Father. A lot of what we encounter is the mess we made for ourselves. We charge in and think we know what’s best without seeking wisdom or knowing all the facts. We look at our surroundings and do not consider the journey. In our self-sufficiency we cross lines that will cause great distress and issues that could be avoided. We sometimes compromise where we need to stand strong. We have tendency to rush in and do it in our own strength. Stop, wait, listen and sit in expectation for the answer you need or the direction you need to take. Your choices affect all those around you. Choose wisely!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding: In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes. ” Proverbs 3:5-7 NKJV