"1 Peter 2:9"
I listened to a message this morning about Jesus walking on the water. The Bible says that as the disciples crossed the lake, the wind was “contrary”—working against them and slowing their progress.
Of course, all things are under the Lord’s authority, so perhaps we could say the wind slowed them until Jesus could get to them. I know—that’s a stretch, but I’m willing to make it.
I wonder today how many of us are slow-walking something the Lord has asked us to do.
When Jesus said, “Come,” Peter stepped out of the boat and miraculously walked on water.
Had Peter stepped out without hearing the word “Come,” he wouldn’t have walked on water at all. The miracle wasn’t in Peter’s courage; it was in Christ’s command.
That’s why some ministries—and sometimes ministers—fail. They never heard Jesus say, “Come.” They heard a lot of people say, “You ought to…”
A work built on public opinion will eventually sink under the weight of expectations. That kind of pressure is hard to overcome. But a work—any work—built on the call of Christ can stand, even in the middle of a storm.
If He has called you to a new job, take it. If He has called you to end a relationship, do it. If He has called you to forgive someone, forgive them. If He has called you to serve, then serve.
A word of caution: This does not mean impetuous decision-making. We’re talking about the things Jesus has called you to do. The Lord will not ask you to wreck a marriage or quit one job before you have another. Use wisdom and discernment in your decision-making.
And if Jesus is calling you to Himself today, it may be time to get out of the boat.
-Pastor Butch
Weekly Encouragement
7/5/26
written by Frank Gupton
God can do wondrous things in your life. You don't ever have to lose hope as long as you believe in Jesus. You just have to trust and believe! Mark 5:36 "Do not be afraid, only believe." You're in His hands.
Just encouraging a spirit of thankfulness in the believer today.
Philippians 1:21, “To me, living means having Christ. To die means that I would have more of Him.”
For the believer, death is not the end; it is the doorway into the fullness of eternal life. Our last day on earth becomes our first day in His presence.
But for the unbeliever, death brings a sobering reality.
We have hope!
“Christian brothers, we want you to know for sure about those who have died. You have no reason to have sorrow as those who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and then came to life again. Because we believe this, we know that God will bring to life again all those who belong to Jesus.”
—1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
Amen
https://www.chathamstartribune.com/article_219e0d46-d3ec-457f-8f2e-00f9e10fca94.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawSWsmlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEesJZKxiyuTb0hcSZaFF_-Z8itRQMnJBfJPj15gMAPCCPsQIPfPXrHanAUVmw_aem_RsZ_kmzV5GHQzSk4t413CA
Don't be Bob!
Pastor Butch Robinson
I learned to drive by watching people. I learned to fix things by watching people. I’ll tell you now, life is expensive if you have to pay people to do everything. I learned that listening rather than talking tells me more about a person than I likely want to know. Or even, than they want me to know. Some folks are way too proud of themselves.
Everything that we do involves being present and alert, listening for and noticing the small details. We have to remain objective and non-judgmental at least, until we know better. Even then we should keep the judgment to ourselves.
We need to understand how to read a room and interpret things such as body language. The main thing is that we practice these skills consistently. Why? So that we are not ignorant and so that we are not taken advantage of.
Proverbs 22:3 talks about the prudent person. The prudent person is wise, show’s good judgment. They are cautious and discerning in their decision-making especially those in keeping with the will of God. People today are so focused on the here and now that they fail to prepare for what lies ahead. Being prudent in all facets of life is how we hide from coming judgment. There is great wisdom to be found in judging ourselves before others do. Prudency serves as a shroud of protection from dangers that can be avoided by simply using good sense.
Check this out.
Three fellows were sitting by a river. One of them stood up and said, “I forgot my fishing pole. I’ll run get it. Stepping out in the water before him, he walked across to the other side, where their small cabin was. He grabbed his pole and returned to where the other two fellows were.
No sooner than he got back, a second fellow stood up and said, “Man, I didn’t grab the bait can.” He walked calmly across the water to the other side of the river and then returned in few minutes, same way. The one left, his name is Bob, watched all this intently.
Figuring that this was test, Bob says, “Y’all think you’re so smart...!! Hold my sweet tea and watch this.” He runs to the edge of river bank. He put his foot in and fell into waist-deep water. He got out and tried again and again and again, to no avail. After watching in silence, one of them other fellows said, “Should we tell him where the stepping stones are?”
Things aren’t always what they seem. More than ever, we need the whole story--pay attention. I believe today there are more people intent on making others feel or look bad than ever before. Being prudent takes that power from them.
In the case of the third man, he didn’t know the whole story. He hadn’t been as observant as he thought. He watched but couldn’t see below the surface. He had seen the other two seemingly, walk on water and figured them to be no better than he. The prudent man knows that no one today walks on water so why didn’t this factor into his thinking? Not to be outdone, he jumps to his feet and lights out. By the time he gets there, it’s too late. He wasn’t at all prepared for what was to come. He wasn’t being practically wise. He was hedging his bets on simple. Proverbs 14:15 says, “The simple believes every word, (and, everything he sees), but the prudent considers well his steps.” A simple person is naïve. He is susceptible to every new idea or fad. He believes everything he hears and none of what he sees. See, if this man had been a prudent man, he’d of taken a second look, Kind of a “measure twice, cut once” sort of thing.
Gullibility is ready to believe everything as long as it is coming from someone they believe is an authority. I used to tell my family that they sometimes don’t believe a word that I say but if Dr. Oz said it woo, they’d bite hook, line, and sinker.
Had the young man known the locations of the stepping stones, wouldn’t you say that his foundation would have been a lot stronger?
I don’t reckon there’s any use to soft-pedal the facts here, I believe there’s a day coming that will be the hardest of any that we’ve endured. Now is when we can either build our case, change our course, or just show that we have what it takes to persevere.
Things ain’t always what they seem. Don’t be Bob.
Be sure.
Grace has BoundariesSome men like being alone—not because they’re antisocial, but because peace feels better than noise.Some of us are just tuned into our perceptiveness. Some of us, like me, give more chances than we probably should. But there comes a moment when respect disappears, and we understand that staying is no longer compassion—it’s enabling.Compassion is one thing, but I don’t know who taught people that it should always be one-sided.Be human. Drop the facade and let people see who you’re trying to become. If you’re at odds with yourself, deal with it. Don’t use people as you work through what you refuse to face.Jesus taught us a “turn the other cheek” mentality in Matthew 5. But turning the other cheek is not a command to become passive, and it is not permission for someone to abuse you. It is a call to refuse revenge and refuse to let someone else’s actions dictate who you become.Sometimes the most courageous thing you can do is walk away. Not out of anger, but out of peace. Not because you hate someone, but because you finally understand that your peace matters too.And sometimes you discover that what you thought was friendship was only someone’s access to what you provided.I’m here today to tell you this: walking away from those who continually mistreat you is okay. It doesn’t mean you lack compassion. It means you’ve gained wisdom.It means you’ve stopped arguing. You’ve stopped trying to prove yourself. You’ve stopped chasing acceptance from people who only value what you do for them.Forgive. Love. Pray. But understand this—God never called you to remain in a place where disrespect is continually allowed.Sometimes walking away isn’t giving up. Sometimes walking away is finally choosing peace.Have a great week!-Pastor Butch
The sunset behind our church.
Photo taken by Scott Sexton
135 Winstead Dr.
Danville VA
(434) -792-5999