John Gardner and Dan Jarms discuss the personhood and role of the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity. The Spirit is a helper and comforter. He inspired the writing of scripture and he helps us remember, understand, and obey God's Word. He indwells believers and helps us to pray, and acts as the seal of our salvation. View the referenced Systematic Hymnology Booklet with the Trinity graphic

Faith Matters with Brian and Andi Hale Before the Throne, a 5 day devotional on prayer. this one is a lesson from Hezakiah We can experience times when everything’s going great, but we also go through seasons when life is hard, and we face overwhelming circumstances.

Faith Matters with Brian and Andi Hale Before the Throne, a 5 day devotional on prayer. The psalmists wrote the very thoughts I feel or want to say but don’t know how to put into words.

Faith Matters with Brian and Andi Hale Before the Throne, a 5 day devotional on prayer Most of us have probably had people in our lives who were difficult and challenging. Let's look at Moses to see how he handled it.

Are you at the end of your rope? Tie a knot and hang on. Listen in as Andi and Brian Hale read this devotional and hopefully shed some light on any depression or discouragement you are experiencing. We want to be the light in the darkness. Stressed, Depressed, Hot Mess devotional on Youversion As someone who has struggled with anxiety and depression, I’ve found the psalms medicinal and life-changing. They’re real. They’re raw. They’re rejuvenating. The beauty of Psalm 42 is how the writer speaks from his gut. He laments as he remembers. Look at verse four: These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.Psalm 42:4 At one point, the writer (a member of the group of Temple musicians and assistants known as the Sons of Korah) would not only attend worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, he’d lead the people into the Temple. He experienced incredible joy as he worshiped with fellow believers. Now he was no longer there, and it hurt him to the depths of his spirit. He was, in a word, isolated. When we’re dealing with a season of depression, our natural bent can be to isolate ourselves. When I hit rock bottom in the late spring of 2020, so much was happening. A big issue was that we weren’t meeting as a church. I didn’t realize how much I needed face-to-face time that you simply can’t replicate online. Because of the shelter-in-place order, I couldn’t go into the office. I was isolated.Psalm 42 was a lifeline for me as I “poured out my soul” to God. I hadn’t forgotten God, and I knew He hadn’t forgotten me. I was in despair. I was at the end of my rope. That was the place from which I prayed. A key lesson I learned at that time was this: God does some of His best work when you’re at the end of your rope. God reminded me that my isolation was unhealthy; that I needed to reach out to a couple of trusted friends and ask for their help. As always, my incredible wife, who knows me better than anyone else, ensured I wasn’t isolated. Through prayer, which was simply, “God, help me,” God showed up as I waited on Him. It’s hard to do anything when you’re a stressed, depressed, hot mess, let alone pray. But God hears our prayers in all of our times in our lives, especially in the times of anguish when all we can pray is “help me.” As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. Psalms 42:1‭-‬11 ESV Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. Psalms 33:20‭-‬22 ESV

Faith Matters Podcast with Andi and Brian Hale Seek Christ, Seek Wisdom, a 5 day devotional from Vance Jackson “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:” Isaiah‬ ‭55:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬ According to Strong’s Concordance, the Hebrew word for, ‘Seek’,‬‬ used in Isaiah‬ ‭55:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬‬, is ‘Darash’ (H1875) which means, “To resort to, seek with care, inquire, require, to worship.” Choose to seek God. Choose to diligently seek the Counsel of Christ. Choose to inquire and seek His Wisdom. Let His Word lead you. Let His Word guide you. Let His Word direct your course. Choose to follow, worship, and honor His Word. May His Word transform you. May His Word keep you. May you keep His Word close to your heart. May you seek God while He may be found. May you seek Him while He may be near. May you keep Christ the King close to your heart. The Amplified Version expounds on Isaiah‬ ‭55:6‬ ‭AMPC‬ in the following manner,“Seek, inquire for, and require the Lord while He may be found [claiming Him by necessity and by right]; call upon Him while He is near.”Call upon Christ — for He is near. Call upon Christ in every season of life. Call upon Christ when things are going well. Call upon Christ when things aren’t going so well. Call upon Him throughout the day. Choose to lean upon His Word in every season of life. Call upon Christ in your time of need. Choose to seek Christ early in the situation. Choose to seek Him in all matters. Choose to seek His Way in private matters. Choose to seek His Way in public affairs. Choose to seek Christ in everything that you do. Let the Word, Power, and Hand of God direct your path.

Centered, Day 3 By Jason Brown, from the book Centered: Trading Your Plans for a Life That Matters Ever since First Fruits Farm began, anyone with any financial sense would look at our plans—plans we believe come straight from God—and then look at our bank accounts and say, “This doesn’t add up. How do you expect to [fill in the blank] with what you have?” My wife and I look at each other and say, “By God’s grace.” Our resources may be paltry, but we’re tied to a kingdom with un­limited wealth and to a generous Father. That doesn’t mean we squander what we have. We need to be good stewards of our resources. And yet those resources, no matter how well we manage them, seem never enough to do what God has asked us to do. But you know what? Everything we feel He’s asked us to do, and everything for which we’ve gone to Him in prayer, has come to pass. Everything. When we needed two roosters, I offered up a simple prayer: “God, please help me find a couple of good roosters. Amen.” Not long after, on a trip into town, we found two roosters wandering along the side of the road. We’ve seen plenty of wildlife on our way to and from town: dogs, cats, raccoons, deer, even snakes. But never, ever, had I seen a stray rooster, much less two. “God blesses you in some strange ways,” a friend said of those roosters. “You shouldn’t be surprised, seeing miracle after miracle.” Set foot on First Fruits Farm and you set foot on a miracle. Every rock, tree, and ripple of water, every squirrel and fish and bird, is a testament to God’s holy power. The nature around us is a declaration of God’s design. The fact that my family is able to enjoy that miracle—to walk through the fields, to gather chicken eggs, to pick fruit, to fish in the lake—is a witness of God’s generosity. We’re God’s children. And like any good fa­ther, our heavenly Father wants the best for us. He wants to shower us with love and blessings that fit in His greater pur­pose. What evidence in your circumstances are proof of God’s generosity in your life? How might those blessings reveal God’s purposes for you? “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:9‭-‬11 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

What is sin? Think back to a decision you made recently that didn’t honor God. Maybe in the moment, the choice felt fun, or maybe you didn’t know how to say “no.” Maybe you just felt stuck or tired, and you didn’t see any alternative. We’ve all done things that weigh us down and make us wonder, “Why do I seem to do what I know is wrong? ”The world encourages us to “follow our hearts,” but our feelings can easily trick us into doing things that don’t align with God’s will. In Scripture, sin is often used to describe actions that miss the target God has asked us to aim for: living a life centered around loving God and others. While there are universal actions that dishonor God, small acts of disobedience also pull us away from Him. The apostle James wrote that “it is a sin to know what the right thing to do is, and then not do it.”In other words, if you know what God is asking you to do, yet you still decide to disobey Him—then you’re undermining God’s authority in your life. Sin entices us because it is self-gratifying, but it results in eternal separation from God and others. How do we change? Jesus’ voluntary sacrifice and separation from God led to our reconciliation with Him. None of this is because we deserved it, but because God always desired it. God wants to help us change because He knew we couldn’t overcome sin on our own. So if you don’t know Jesus, the first step you can take to overcome sin is to invite Him to transform your life. But if you already belong to Jesus—He has given you the grace, strength, and forgiveness you need to live a life that honors Him. So when you make choices you later regret, here are three practical action steps you can take: 1. Keep drawing near to God every day. The more time you spend with God, the more you will want to honor Him and do His will. Over time, God will transform your mind and change the way you think. 2. Get connected to community. The people who surround you will influence the choices you make. Consider asking some people you know and admire to draw near to God with you. 3. Ask God to search your heart. We can only change when we allow God to change us. Consider praying the following prayer each day, and ask God to transform you: God, I don’t want to take part in bad habits or poor decisions that don’t lead to an abundant life. So please search me, and know my heart. Test my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Renew my mind so that I can know what Your will is, and walk in it. Here I am, Lord. I surrender—I am Yours. In Jesus’ name, Amen.