New Year's Resolution-New Start, New You

New Start, New Me

2 Corinthians 5:16-17

Question: Have you ever wanted a new start?

As with any new year, most people start it off with resolutions to improve upon themselves. From exercising more, to better diets, to reading more books, people are setting goals to help become better version of themselves. Did you know that there is a day called “Quitters’ Day?” It is the second Friday of January and it is the day by which most New Year’s resolutions are over for people. (Thanks Apple Watch Commercial for this little tidbit).

What a bummer! At best people stay committed to a new improved version of themselves for a maximum of about 14 days. I know many Christians create spiritual resolutions. Praying more, reading the Bible everyday, attending Church services more regularly and more. Here’s the problem with resolutions, too many times they require self-discipline. For many of us, self-discipline is not something we are particularly good at doing. We need accountability, we need outside strength from another source.

“So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”‭‭ 2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

1. Changed Perspective

The first step we take is a changed perspective. Christianity isn’t about reading the Bible, praying wonderful prayers, or attending church services. It is about a transformation of our mindset and our hearts. Romans 12:1 encourages that we transform our minds for then we will know the true and right way of worship before the Lord. Jesus encouraged the disciples in his teachings multiple times that God is more worried about the heart's position than the ability to act in or say certain things. One of my favorite statements I have heard from the pulpit is if you want to make certain changes, change your perspective from yourself to God. 

Too many times Christians fail in their religious resolution due to the fact they are doing things that are human controlled and not Holy Spirit controlled. I encourage you to change your routine. Turn on worship music, whether it be hymns or modern. Look to turn your focus on God rather than checking off boxes on your Christian to-do list.

2. Changed You

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone, and a new life has begun." What a wonderful statement that is made in this passage. If you belong to Christ you are a new creation. In Christian circles, we are called born again. With you becoming a new creation this means a new life, new standards, new emotional regulation, and changed perspective. The life we had in the past was self-centered and self-seeking. The new life that we have in Christ is about being Jesus-centered and Jesus-seeking. The closer we get to God the further we get away from sin.

The transformation for any Christian is both instantaneous and gradual. It is a process and as with any process it requires submission to the goal and denial of self. Jesus tells us that if anyone wants to come after Him that he must deny himself and pick up his own cross. The changed you will require you dying to your flesh and pursuing a life in the Holy Spirit. 

Where so many Christians fall short is they forget that God is a trinity and we don't fully utilize the third portion of God, His Holy Spirit. If you want change, get in tune with the Holy Spirit. Jesus told the disciples that the Holy Spirit will always point back to Jesus's teaching, which means the Holy Spirit will always point you to God.

Today will be the first part of the New Year's Resolution series. We will look at different parts of God's Word that will help us draw closer to Him and pursue a deeper, more meaningful relationship with the Lord.

God Bless,

Nicholas Engleman

As always, if you have any questions about Jesus or this devotional, you can contact me by email at nengleman902@gmail.com, or by phone at 417-808-1049.

Christmas Choice

 Christmas Choice

Matthew 1:18-24

Question: When was the last time you were stuck between two choices?

Intro: My son is at the age now where we are giving him more responsibility and ability to make his own decisions. One night I gave him the difficult choice of deciding what snack to get from the concession stand at the basketball game. I gave him a  $20 bill and told him one drink and a snack. He proceeded to begin negotiating like he always wants to do in order to try and gain something else. I took the $20 away and told him to go sit down. (Yes, I am a mean dad, or as my kids affectionately call me, “Bad Dad.”) 

About 10 minutes later I called him over and started the process again, but this time I did not give the speech. I asked him what the plan was for his visit to the concession stand. It was at this time he said one drink and one snack.

Life is about choices. Some are easy like this one with my son, but others can be incredibly difficult. Behind those choices we will see doubt and discussion before a decision is made. 

Matthew 1:18-24: “This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.”

1. Doubt

Doubt is behind almost every decision that we will make in life. Doubt can be manifested as fear, anger, anxiety, and concern. In doubt, we struggle to build trust and faith in decisions, as well as the people around those decisions. Joseph was at an impasse in that he had to make a choice whether to believe Mary or disregard her word and move on from their engagement.

Joseph was not only doubting the information that Mary provided him, but also was doubting that the information was from God. His doubt was tied to the cultural norms of the day in that marriage was to be pure and holy. Joseph had to have an array of emotions flooding his mind at this moment. If I was doing a sermon, I would spend more time here.

Still, he was like many when we heard the message of Jesus. We question the actions of the person telling us of Jesus, we doubt their validity, and we may even feel they are hypocrites. Doubt is a natural part of choosing to listen to the message that Jesus is who He has been said to be for humanity.

2. Discussion

Typically, there are two people we have discussions with in regards to accepting Jesus as the Son of God. The first is a person. For Joseph, it was Mary, his fiancée. For others, it may be a parent, sibling, friend, or pastor. Nonetheless, the person is pointing to God. How many times do we feel like this person is using God for their own benefit, maybe even to justify sins? This will always put the focus more on that person than God or ourselves.

The second person we will have a conversation with is the Holy Spirit. The Word of God tells us that no one comes to the Father without the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s role is to always point people to the teachings of Christ, which effectively means pointing to God. Sadly, many people will never get to this conversation because the first conversation kills any opportunity for an individual to be in a place of receptiveness of hearing what the Holy Spirit wants to tell that person. With Joseph, his willingness to hear the Holy Spirit was greater than the hurt and frustration that Mary brought into their situation.

3. Decision

Ultimately for every person a decision has to be made. Joseph made the decision that God’s plan and design was greater than the potential faults and dishonor that Mary brought into their relationship. It is amazing how the Holy Spirit can mend and restore hurt and division in our earthly relationships. The whole purpose behind this story is not only to recognize the prophecy that Jesus will be born into this very situation, but also that Jesus fixes every relationship when we let the Holy Spirit perform His role in reconciliation. The decision can be simple when we listen more so to the prompting of the Holy Spirit than the division and hurt of human interaction.

My prayer for you today is that you will be like Joseph and listen to the Holy Spirit. People are messy and our prior interactions with humanity can lead us to distrust even the people we are closest to in this life. I encourage you today to not let the potential hurt and discouragement of human interaction deter you from having a positive interaction with Jesus. Listen to the Holy Spirit and see His prompting to accept Jesus.

Blessings and Merry Christmas!

Nick Engleman

As always, I am available for any questions or discussion you may have about this devotional or Jesus today. My contact information is nengleman902@gmail.com or 417-808-1049.

I'm Religious, Right?

 I’m Religious, Right?

James 1:26-27

Question: Are you faking it, until you make it?

Intro: I remember a lot of sayings from my Grandpa King. “If we aren’t having fun then why are we doing it?” “Don’t get caught sleeping.” “You don’t have the sense God gave a goose.” “For you as smart as you are, you aren’t very bright.” There were many. Still, one I remember frequently was him saying “at times, life is about faking it until you make it.” What in the world does that even mean? Won’t people see through that and know that I am not real? Today, I realize that sometimes you may have to act like you know what you are doing until it comes time to humble yourself and admit you need help.

James 1:26-27: 26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

Here is where the help comes in with regards to our faith and activation of our faith. We must learn that playing church, speaking “Christianese,” and giving lip-service are not signs that we are Christians. No, the Word of God tells us that even demons will recognize that Jesus is who He says He is and they are nowhere close to being “Christians.” What this passage tells us is that our actions mean more than our words. We cannot fake active and true religion in the sight of God.

1. Words Mean Something

While we need action to our faith, how we speak matters as well. Our actions can showcase our faith and commitment to living like Jesus, but how we choose to speak and communicate about and to others reflects this life as well. James writes later in chapter 3 that people are both blessing and cursing others from the same mouth. Romans tells us to not curse, but bless those who wrong us.

We can look throughout Scripture where God speaks about the power and influence of our mouths, or specifically our tongues. Our tongues have the power to give life, or the power to destroy. James references the tongue as the rudder of the ship. It is small but has the ability to move a large ship.

The importance of our mouth in our faith is not found in its ability to proclaim great things or proclaim Jesus as Lord. Our mouths must be sources of encouragement, blessing, praise, hope, forgiveness, gentleness, and so many things that edify those around us. It is not merely enough to be the hands and feet of Jesus, but we must be the mouth as well.

2. Actions Mean Everything

A common phrase for so many talented individuals in the athletic world is for coaches and spectators to call them “the real deal.” Another is for an athlete to be called pure in their mannerisms and movements. “He is so fluid and pure in what he does.” “Her swing is pure and clean.” When an athlete is pure and genuine in his or her talent, there is no denying that they are truly talented in what they can accomplish on the court or field.

Our faith is similar in that we must take on a pure and genuine form of action. I have heard before that you can tell a lot about a person in how they treat those who can do nothing for them. Jesus told the disciples to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, and comfort those in angst. When we do this, we are doing it as if we are serving Jesus himself. Too many times, we can get caught up in the right worship songs, sermon notes, and programs. God has not called us to any of that, but He has called us to love others.

We cannot just be a set of believers that attend church, lead a prayer group, and do our daily devotions. We are called to serve the least of these, to provide aid to the hopeless, to support the widows, and to embrace the fatherless.

During this time of year, do not settle for being “charitable” for the sake of charity. Look to actively serve others in an effort to serve God well. We reflect Christ best not in our religious activities, but in our willingness to act and do unto others.

Blessings.

Nick Engleman

If you have any questions about Jesus or this devotional, please feel free to reach out to me at 417-808-1049 or nengleman902@gmail.com

Man in the Mirror

 Man in the Mirror

James 1:22-25

Question: Do you remember what you look like?

During the month of November I start growing a beard. It is that time of year where the infamous "No Shave November" starts. For me, I usually keep the beard through the winter months. I guess you could say that it makes me feel more primal, more in touch with nature. I digress…But the funny thing is that sometimes I forget that I have a beard until I look in the mirror. 

You are probably thinking to yourself, how does a grown man forget that he has a beard? Well, remember that usually about nine months out of the year I do not have one. Due to no consistency in my beard, I forget that I have one from time to time.

James 1:22-25: “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”

See that is the problem, I don’t have it consistently in my life. The Word of God and application works in the same way. If there is no devotion to the Word and then no application, we can easily forget what God desires out of us.

1. Daily Application

We can look at Jesus and the disciples for context. He told them that the way the world will know we belong to him is by how we love one another and by the work that we do. To be a Christian is not to be saved by works, but it is by faith that our works shine through. It is not enough to just listen to a message, read a small devotion, or listen to a podcast. If we truly desire to live a life that is pleasing before God, it requires obedience more so than sacrifice. This means to apply the Word of God. Love others, show mercy, give generously, forgive, pray continuously, serve others, and so forth.

2. Observation

Another practical part of Word application is observing the context of the passage in the past bridging the gap to how it applies to us in the present time. Joshua and other anointed leaders were encouraged to meditate on the Word and seek discernment. One of my favorite pastimes is to people watch. (Yes, I know this makes me seem creepy.) You can learn a lot about a person by watching his body language and mannerisms. You can see who is full of themselves, who is humble, a little odd, happy, frustrated, or distressed. However, these are just basic observations. If you just read the Word of God without deep observation, your study is superficial. Superficial is fading and temporary. I encourage you today to really spend time observing the Word as if you are looking at every little mole, blemish, pimple, or freckle on your own face.  

3. Memory

Jesus told his disciples that it was good for Him to leave them so that God could send them an Advocate, a Helper. One of the purposes of the Holy Spirit is to continuously remind and point us back to the God’s Word and its proper application. I call it the Jiminy Cricket of our spiritual life. As a youth pastor, I asked my students to recall the times in which they could hear their parents’ voice in their head encouraging them to do or not do something. This is the Holy Spirit in all things. The Holy Spirit is the gentle whisper that will always point us back to the Word of God to convict and direct us into proper application and service towards others.

Reading the Word of God can be hard with the application of it being more difficult. If we want to be pleasing in the sight of God then we must learn to actively apply it in our lives. We must love mercy, act justly, and give generously. We must become a reflection of Christ and live according to His example. The man in the mirror you see should start looking a little more like Jesus and little less like you. (Thanks, Zach Williams)

Blessings,

Nick Engleman

If you have questions about this devotional, or have questions about starting a life with Jesus, please feel free to contact me at 417-808-1049, or nengleman902@gmail.com.

My Past But God

My Past But God

1 Corinthians 15:9-11

Question: Do you spend too much time in your past?

The past can leave any person dealing with a mental montage of what ifs, regrets, and shame. We regret not making that phone call, what would have happened if I had not said that to my friend, or man, I had not made a mistake at that party. The past can be a hard place to navigate for any person, and if we are not careful we will make it our dwelling place. As Christians, the dwelling of the past can lead us into stagnation, devastation, and destruction. 

The hard part of moving forward in Christ is forgiving ourselves, forgiving others, and relinquishing our shame. To do that we need to remember that we are more than conquerors in Christ. It is in Christ that we can become new creations, gain newfound purpose and worth, and begin a journey beyond the chains of our past. The enemy wants to keep us in the past, but God.

1 Corinthians 15:9-11: “For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed.”

1. Redemption 

The first step of moving past our past is to recognize that God has redefined our worth. I want you to understand that the path of becoming a Christian does not mean we have to be self-destructive. It actually requires self-reflection in knowing that in ourselves we cannot be made right with God. He has such high standards that our redemption is in Jesus taking our place and becoming the atonement of our sins. We must deny ourselves and begin to flourish through the redemption we have through the blood of Christ. We cannot redeem ourselves through our own actions but only through our choice to accept the gift of Christ.

2. By Grace Alone

I love the song Amazing Grace. The first verse says, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I am found. Was blind, but now I see.”

Paul, like many of us B.C. (Before Christ), was blinded by his own desires and ambition. He was working hard to defend the faith, but in all accounts he was hurting the furthering of God’s plan. What we can learn is that God does not need us, but we need Him. He chooses to use us in His work because we can be living proof of the work of God’s grace. Through His grace, we all can become new.

3. Unity

The Three Musketeers had the motto, “all for one, one for all.” The idea behind this was that they all fought for one cause, and that one person would fight to defend everyone. As Christians, we must carry this ideology in how we push forward in the faith. We cannot get caught up in unnecessary arguments but continue to press onward underneath the premise that God’s grace is for everyone and we each work to ensure all know that God’s grace is for them. 

God’s grace and mercy is bigger and stronger than the weight of your past. You can find redemption in the grace of God. I encourage you to get connected with a church that preaches the Gospel and promotes God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness. 

Blessings,

Nick Engleman 

If you are wanting to pursue a life in Christ or have questions about Jesus or today’s writing, please feel free to contact me at nengleman902@gmail.com, or 417-808-1049.