But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

God is calling you to carry joy to a fallen world, but the devil wants you to become so preoccupied with the issues in your own life that you stay in the constant cycle of maintaining and trying to overcome discouragement and distraction instead of being what God has called you to be.

Sing to the Lord a new song, sing His praise from the end of the earth! Isaiah 42:10a

Choose the good part like Mary did: “sitting at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word.” Don’t wait for the worship team or for an inspirational moment. Thank God in the morning, thank God in the noontime, thank God in the night. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving every day (Psalm 100:4).

You are still here. Whatever highs and lows you’ve had in 2011, you didn’t get alienated and cynical, you didn’t cave in to self pity, you didn’t throw in the towel, you didn’t let the devil run you off, and you didn’t negotiate with him when he was terrorizing you. Even if you feel meager and feeble in your faith, at any time, day or night, you can cry out to the Lord and He will respond. Don’t fear the future. If God has called you to a task, you will have grace and blessing equal to the task. As you take time to seek God and listen to His word, He will show you what to do.

God bless you this New Year!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2012 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

This past week nearly 2,500 kids poured onto the St. Louis Family Church campus for our 2009 summer day camp. The reason we do JUMP is so kids can know that God loves them and has an amazing plan for their lives.

Over 700 volunteers got here early to direct traffic, check in kids, lead groups, cut up watermelon, act in the drama, sing on the worship team, bandage elbows, and pick up trash—this is church at its finest. If we did all of JUMP to change just one kid’s life, it would be worth it!

This year the kids learned about getting ready for their future. God is calling us all, young and old, to prepare for amazing exploits ahead. Whether you are eight or ninety-eight, it’s not too early or late to adjust your heart and follow God.

Jesus is the answer for the nations—He is the hope of the world. If you haven’t talked to God in a while, take a moment to get quiet and ask Him what he wants you to do with your time on this earth. If you feel burdened with the weights of life, crack open your Bible and find wisdom for your situation. God is ready and able to help you with every area in life (2 Corinthians 9:8; Psalm 46:1). Trust Him and get ready for good things ahead!

God bless you!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.