John 19:30Notes From the Pastor's Desk #notesfromthepastorsdesk
📖John 19:30 (ESV) When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 📘Pastor's Note: In the Greek text, the phrase "It is finished" is one word and represents the perfect tense of a verb meaning "to make something complete or perfect." In English, it could be expressed as "It is completely complete" or "It is perfectly perfect." Was God's wrath satisfied on the cross? Absolutely. Not only was it satisfied, but it was also perfectly and completely satisfied. Jesus took upon Himself every evil consequence that rebellion had brought upon humanity, exhausting every curse of God's broken law. All of this was done so that we might, in turn, receive the true blessing of salvation due to His obedience. His grace is truly marvelous! Remember, "It is finished!" 🙏I'm praying for you always. ❤️God Bless! Pastor Jamie Read the Chapter: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2019&version=ESV Learn more about us: www.mygpchurch.com/whoweare Acts 13:47Notes From the Pastor's Desk #notesfromthepastorsdesk
📖Acts 13:47 (ESV) For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 📘Pastor's Note: Happy New Year! This morning, I woke up with the question in my heart, "What will this year bring?" Then, I was convicted that it was the wrong question I was asking. The better questions are, "What will God do this year, and how can I be obedient in my participation for His will to be accomplished?" This scripture from Acts 13 demonstrates the answer to those questions. God has made us to be a light to this lost world so that salvation can be brought to the ends of the earth. We are Gospel-carrying messengers of His Son, Jesus Christ. We are to proclaim the Good News of Jesus so that others may be saved from sin and death and be made right with the living God! That’s what this new year will bring. That’s our purpose in 2024 until we breathe our last — to glorify Him by making disciples who, in turn, make other disciples of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I am praying for you today and ask you to pray for me. Let’s pray that we are faithful at being the light God has called us to be in this ever-darkening world until He comes again. 🙏I'm praying for you always. ❤️ Pastor Jamie Read the Chapter: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2034&version=ESV Learn more about us: www.mygpchurch.com/whoweare Psalm 34:1-7Notes From the Pastor's Desk #notesfromthepastorsdesk
📖Psalm 34:1-7 (ESV) I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 📘Pastor's Note: For me, this is one of the most beautiful psalms found in the book. It's a psalm that boasts about the only thing worthy of boasting about—our Lord! In this psalm of David, he is crying out in praise and worship to the Lord. He can't help but have praise for the Lord "continually" in his mouth. Not only in his mouth but also in his soul, he boasts in Him. From the depth of his soul comes forth praise and boasting in the Lord! David's cry is "Magnify the Lord with me!! Let's exalt His Name together!!" Then he goes on to say why. The Lord is not some mythical creature that cannot be found. When truly sought, the Lord is found and will answer and deliver you/me from all our fears! He is the God that hears when the poor man cries out! Not only does our God hear, but He also takes action upon the one that humbly cries out! "He saved him out of all his troubles!!" My dear friends, what a mighty God we serve that encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them!! Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Have a blessed week. Magnify the Lord with me on this precious day the Lord has made. 🙏I'm praying for you always. ❤️ Pastor Jamie Read the Chapter: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2034&version=ESV Learn more about us: www.mygpchurch.com/whoweare John 11:35Notes From the Pastor's Desk #notesfromthepastorsdesk
📖John 11:35 (ESV) Jesus wept. 📘Pastor's Note: In this well-known story from John's Gospel, the account is the shortest but perhaps one of the most impactful verses in the Bible. John's dear friend Lazarus had died, and Lazarus' sisters, Mary and Martha, were understandably mourning the loss of their beloved brother. As Jesus arrived in the village, Mary arose, ran out to meet him, and fell at his feet, saying, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Seeing her weeping, the scripture notes that Jesus was "deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled." He wept with her, fully aware that He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. He could have said, "Stop your crying and watch what I'm about to do!" But He didn't; He wept with her. There's a lot to this story, but let me simply point out that Jesus joined her in weeping because of His great compassion. He empathized with her, feeling the distress of her broken heart and crying with her. That's compassion. That's what it means to mourn with those who mourn. Do we show this type of compassion with others? Do we shed tears when others shed tears? Compassion involves bearing the pains of someone going through a difficult time. How great is it that we serve a God who not only sympathizes with us but literally weeps alongside us, having compassion on us! Today, look for an opportunity to show Christlike compassion to someone. 🙏I'm praying for you always. ❤️ Pastor Jamie Read the Chapter: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2011&version=ESV Learn more about us: www.mygpchurch.com/whoweare Colossians 2:1-3Notes From the Pastor's Desk #notesfromthepastorsdesk
📖Colossians 2:1-3 (ESV) For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 📘Pastor's Note: This letter, written by Paul, specifically these verses of scripture, speaks to me and demonstrates Paul’s heart for God’s people, His church. The word “struggle” means to strive for, to fight for. It paints the picture of forceful, almost violent effort on behalf of the saints of God. This is the heart of a shepherd. His main concern, second only to his relationship with the Lord, is the flock of God. All a shepherd wants is to encourage and knit together one another in love so that they reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and knowledge of Christ. I feel Paul’s heart. I believe as a pastor, this deep love and desire for God’s people to know Him more, to grow in their faith, to be transformed by the washing of His word is at the heart of a shepherd’s calling. For me personally, much of my time is spent in prayer, that I will “struggle” for the flock God has charged me to care for. Sometimes, I ask myself, do I struggle enough for them? Does the flock know how much I truly love them? Do I care for them well enough? Maybe those are questions that further spur me on to struggle more and more for those that belong to Him. Pray for me and all pastors that have this calling on their lives, that we will “struggle” well in our service to the Lord, caring for His people. 🙏I'm praying for you always. ❤️ Pastor Jamie Read the Chapter: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians%202&version=ESV Learn more about us: www.mygpchurch.com/whoweare Mark 1:16-17Notes From the Pastor's Desk #notesfromthepastorsdesk
📖Mark 1:16-17 (ESV) 16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 📘Pastor's Note: Following Jesus redefines our purpose in life. The once lowly fisherman, whose efforts were focused on catching fish, now casts his net to catch men. Our new purpose is rooted in our identity in Christ, as we live to make His name known to a lost world so that others can be saved by believing the Gospel. It shouldn't escape our thoughts that the first disciples Jesus called were lowly fishermen. The King of glory calls, saves, and uses common vessels to accomplish His divine work of proclaiming the good news of salvation. The depth and breadth of God's knowledge and love are profound. What a wonderful friend and Savior we have in Jesus! Have you ever asked God, "How can You use such a lowly person as myself?" Well, I'd say that your question is a good starting point to understand that He came to save sinners, of whom I am the worst. Today, I encourage you to cast your nets! Have a blessed week. 🙏I'm praying for you always. ❤️ Pastor Jamie Read the Chapter: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%201&version=ESV Learn more about us: www.mygpchurch.com/whoweare Psalm 84:1-2Notes From the Pastor's Desk #notesfromthepastorsdesk
📖Psalm 84:1-2 (ESV) How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! 2 My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. 📘Pastor's Note: The Book of Psalms could just as easily be called the Book of Hymns, containing some of the most beautiful songs of praise to our Lord. In this psalm, the choirmaster makes a definitive statement: "How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!" Heaven is a wonderful aspect to contemplate. We read about the realities of what it will be like when our time concludes in this life as Christians—streets of gold, no more pain or suffering, no more tears, new glorified bodies, and no more sin. Can you imagine? As amazing as all that will be, the best aspect of heaven, by far, will be our enjoyment of being in the physical presence of God for eternity. He is what makes heaven so glorious; it wouldn't be heaven without Him. He is the One who makes our hearts and flesh cry out in songs of joy. The day we see Him face to face in His dwelling place, my mind is too small to fathom the joy we will experience. Colossians 3:2 tells us to "set our minds on the things above." Day by day, we grow closer to the time when we will be with the Living God in heaven. Until then, let's strive to set our minds and affections on heavenly things, not earthly things. Have a blessed week. Know that you have been prayed for this day. Keep striving toward the goal in Christ Jesus our Lord. God bless. 🙏I'm praying for you always. ❤️ Pastor Jamie Read the Chapter: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2084&version=ESV Learn more about us: www.mygpchurch.com/whoweare Isaiah 6:4-5Notes From the Pastor's Desk #notesfromthepastorsdesk
📖Isaiah 6:4-5 (ESV) 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 📘Pastor's Note: This was Isaiah’s conclusion when he found himself before the holy God. He immediately recognized how sinful his actions were before the perfect and just Creator. He felt doomed, exclaiming, “Woe is me!” Understanding that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God is crucial in realizing our absolute need for a Savior. Like Isaiah, we have rebelled against God, and from the fall of man until today, everyone born is tainted with sin, except Jesus. So, what does this mean for us? The penalty for sin is death, and there are only two options: either we pay for it ourselves, or we need someone else to pay for it. The Bible is clear—Jesus is the only one capable of paying the price for our rebellion against the holy God. It took the holy, blameless, spotless Lamb of God to atone for man’s sin. Fortunately, when we repent and trust in Him alone, He is willing to forgive us. This is the great doctrine of substitution. He does for us what God did for Isaiah—He cleanses and reconciles us unto Himself. In Isaiah’s case, an angel with tongs carried a hot coal to touch his mouth. Similarly, God cleanses us by sending His Son to touch our hearts, making us a new creation in Christ. The salvation offered to sinful man is incredibly great, even though we are undeserving. This is unmerited grace, and it's why we can experience absolute joy in His salvation. 🙏I'm praying for you always. ❤️ Pastor Jamie Read the Chapter: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%206&version=ESV Learn more about us: www.mygpchurch.com/whoweare Luke 9:57-62Notes From the Pastor's Desk #notesfromthepastorsdesk
📖Luke 9:57-62 (ESV) 57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” 📘Pastor's Note: Counting the cost of following Jesus - The call to follow Christ is a call to die, to die to self. It's a call to pick up our cross and follow Him, to pick up an instrument of torture and follow Him. All too often, the Gospel is watered down to cheap grace or easy-believism, where it's presented as "Jesus loves you and wants you to have your best life now." Isn't that what Joel Osteen says? He suggests that God wants you to be healthy, wealthy, and prosperous, to have a mansion and an overflowing bank account, just like him. But is that what the Scriptures say? Here in Luke 9, three men approach Jesus, and it's clear that they have superficial requests. The first man says he wants to follow Him, but Jesus quickly opens his eyes to the fact that it won't be easy or comfortable. Even the Son of Man has no place to lay His head. The second man seems to have a reasonable excuse. He claims that his father isn't dead, and he wants to wait for his inheritance before following Jesus. Essentially, he's saying, "I'll follow you when I have enough money." Then the last man says, "Let me go and say farewell to my family." Initially, it seems fair, but the problem is that his family takes precedence over his commitment to Christ. Each of these men had excuses and higher priorities than following Jesus. The call to follow comes at a cost, and the question is, "Is having a relationship with Him, following Him, the most important priority in our lives?" He doesn't want a partial commitment; He desires wholehearted, total commitment at all costs. Does this challenge you? It certainly challenges me. It makes me contemplate whether my priorities are in order. Is my faith in Christ my highest priority? Am I willing to give up everything, including my comfort, security, family, and even my life, if He asks me to? 🙏I'm praying for you always. ❤️ Pastor Jamie Read the Chapter: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%209&version=ESV Learn more about us: www.mygpchurch.com/whoweare Matthew 7:17Notes From the Pastor's Desk #notesfromthepastorsdesk
📖Matthew 7:17 (ESV) So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 📘Pastor's Note: Here, Jesus is teaching against false prophets. He’s teaching against ravenous wolves. Those who say they are believers but are not. He illustrates His point by using a good tree and a bad tree. His point is that something CANNOT produce fruit that violates their identity. A good tree will produce good fruit. A bad tree will produce bad fruit. I think where people get this wrong is that sometimes, people want to look at counterfeit fruit and claim it to be good. I’ve been looking closely at Andy Stanley, who claims to be a good tree. He thinks he is a good tree. He thinks he is producing good fruit. Unfortunately, many people are deceived in believing he is a good tree. Both he and many that follow him are deceived. Really sad. If you look closely, he is a very bad tree producing really bad fruit. He is a counterfeit, a child of Satan deceiving those that follow him. If he doesn’t repent and believe the Gospel, the Gospel that Paul preached, one day he will stand before God and be justly judged, cut off, and thrown into the lake of fire. That will happen because his true identity is that he is a bad tree. And let’s all be truthful. We were born with a sinful nature. Meaning we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are bad trees by nature. Yet Jesus is willing and absolutely able to make us new! He can change us from a bad tree to a good tree. He does that at salvation. When we hear the Gospel, repent, and believe in Him alone, He changes a stone heart to a heart of flesh. He makes us a new creation in Christ, He gives us a new heart, and He transforms us from a bad tree to a good tree!! How glorious is our Savior? How deep, how wide, how vast are His ways!! Have you done this? How about those in your circle of influence? Here’s where I hope we are. That we, who were once bad trees but now are good trees, live to share the transforming, life giving, heart changing message of the Gospel with bad trees in hope that they too will have their identity forever changed in Christ Jesus our Lord! 🙏I'm praying for you always. ❤️ Pastor Jamie Read the Chapter: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%207&version=ESV Learn more about us: www.mygpchurch.com/whoweare |
AuthorPastor Jamie Payton Archives
April 2024
Categories |