Join us every Thursday for a weekly devotion from our FOP Church staff!

When you receive a bad report, there are a million things that go through your mind, questions, worries, fears, and anxieties. In this episode, we're speaking to Tammie Smith who received a bad medical report and shares her story of victory through that extremely stressful time. We talk about her first response, what hope she wishes to pass on to those facing a bad report now, and how this impacted her relationships. We hope you'll share this podcast with anyone who might some encouragement on this subject!

In 2021, we will have WEEKLY devotions published every Thursday right here on our website and mobile app. These might be videos, podcasts, or written devotions from Pastor Matt and our FOP Church staff. We hope you'll continue to join us on this devotion as we seek after God and dive further into His Word! 

By: Chandler Demler

Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 NKJV

I want to share a devotion I read from the New Spirit-Filled Life Bible:

“Unity is a triple-braided cord. One friend plus another, plus Christ make the cord not easily broken. Our commitment to Christ binds us irrevocably to each other. We find our oneness in Him. We begin to think, feel, hope, and work with unity of purpose and direction. When Christ is the source and center of a friendship, negative forces cannot pull us apart. There is a buffer of Christ’s grace when we fail or disappoint each other. We belong to Him and to each other in spite of what happens around us. Christ longs for us to know the same oneness with one another that He has with the Father. To implement the answer to His own prayer for us, He engenders in us love, forgiveness, and patience for one another. When Christ is the unbreakable strand in the triple-braided cord, it cannot be severed. Praise Him for truly great friendships in which He is the strength of the relationship.”

I truly believe relationships are one of the greatest gifts God gave us on this earth. We aren’t designed to do life alone! Find someone in your life who you can speak life into and who can do the same for you. Someone who will keep you accountable, call your flaws, and help keep you on the right track. When we put God at the center of our relationships, we are truly unbreakable.

By: Jennifer Nystrom

Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.  

Proverbs 30:5 NIV

From the moment our children are born, our instinct is to protect them. We want to wrap them in a blanket and swaddle them, and keep them safe forever. Yet as they grow older, we know we have to loosen that blanket and let them become the person God intended.

One of my sons taught me how precious prayer for him is, and the peace it can bring. As a Captain in the Army, his unit was being sent overseas, off to war. I have no words to describe the fear I had. If I could, I would have gladly gone in his place. As he prepared to leave, I realized the best thing I could do for him was pray. A good friend reminded me that the same God who was protecting him here at home, would protect him no matter where he was in the world. The peace those words gave me is immeasurable.

Prayer is what kept me going, and my son told me more times than I can count how he felt the prayers so many were extending on his behalf.

Whether your child is heading off to his first sleepover, off to college, or off to war, wrap him in a blanket of prayer. The peace that it brings will change both of your lives.

Plan of action: Start a prayer journal for your child. Record your prayers and praises for them. Keep a record of the things God has done for them through prayer! 

By: Micaiah Wesler

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
 
Revelation 8:1 KJV
 
Worship is what I do. It’s what I live for. It’s in my blood. I think about it the vast majority of my day. I ponder it. What is it? What is it not? It’s pretty well constantly rolling around in my mind. 
One thing I ponder frequently is whether or not I have constructed boxes or set ways to do things in worship. Seeing as I am a musician, I think in term of music a lot. One thing that always interests me is what happens when a band stops playing loudly. What happens when things get really quiet? Almost every time it gets so awkward that people can’t hardly stand it! Those moments can be so unsettling to everyone that it’s actually quite humorous to me. It always ends up with me asking the same question: why is it so awkward? 
 
Even heaven had 30 minutes of dead silence. Imagine coming into church and our entire worship set was nothing but silence! Woo boy... that would be a doozie of a service. We’d either be falling out from boredom or running to get out of there, but I’m sure it wouldn’t be falling out or running with the Holy Ghost! 
 
Diving into the thoughts about this, I think there are multiple reasons as to why it gets awkward. We can save many of those for another time and I’ll focus on one right now: I think people rely on the band heavily to play and if the band stops, it’s a cue for us to stop as well. Simply put, we have been taught to follow what is being done from the stage. On the flip side of that thought, I’ve been in moments in worship where the band gets quiet and the crowd begins to lead and take over. What beautiful and holy moments those have been! I love those moments! 
 
Sometimes I dread the moments where a band will get quiet and things get very awkward because I know that quiet moments can be filled with worship in a way that loud moments can’t. They each serve their own purpose. Truth be told, I like to settle into quiet moments that linger because I can feel the awkward tension rise up in a room and the question on everyone’s face begins to be obvious. “What do we do now?” Usually my inward response is, “I don't know. You tell me when you figure it out!” Haha! 
 
Growing pains are always awkward. Breaking boxes is always awkward, but it’s healthy and necessary. 
If you let things get awkward for long enough, you break through and people stop asking “what do we do now?” and find themselves with the choice of staying in an awkward spot (which nobody likes) or finding something to do outside of what you’re used to. That’s usually when people stop looking at the stage for their cues and the voice of the crowd begins to rise as people make the decision to press through and worship God even if the band is quiet. I think that’s why those are such holy moments. It removes the crutch of loud music and a band that drives things forward and puts the power of worship on our mouths of a congregation. It’s a beautiful thing and I love when it happens. 
 
It reminds me of the part of the song “A Little Longer” by Jenn Johnson that says: 
 
YOU, YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO A THING 
SIMPLY BE WITH ME AND LET THOSE THINGS GO 
THEY CAN WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE 
WAIT, WAIT JUST THIS MOMENT IS TOO SWEET 
PLEASE STAY HERE WITH ME AND LOVE ON ME A LITTLE LONGER* 
 
So if you find yourself in those awkward situations in worship where you are unsure of what to do, embrace the awkward and let it drive you to the decision that you’re going to press passed this moment of discomfort whether anyone else goes with you or not. You’ll be surprised what God will do in those beautiful moments! 
 
*Jenn Johnson, “A Little Longer”. You Make Me Brave, Capitol CMG Publishing, 2003. 

If you're following along with our daily devotion, we want you to join us for our Sunday morning message as well! You can hear the message LIVE on our Facebook page every Sunday morning at 9:30am... you can also catch the latest messages on our FOP Church app, or by visiting https://fopchurch.net/media

By: Joe Gray

Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. 1 Chronicles 16:10 KJV
But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29 KJV) 
 
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10 KJV)
 
We as earthly people spend so much time seeking earthly materials. We seek for things which are not everlasting. Hallelujah, we have a God who is everlasting! If we seek Him with our whole heart and soul we will find Him. Oh the joy and rejoicing that is found in Him! And not only do we seek His face, but our Savior seeks us. Look to Jesus today. Seek Him. May your heart and soul be filled with joy and rejoicing! 

By: Chandler Demler

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV

There are so many things that have the potential to rob us of our joy. Take a minute to think about all the things you cannot control and have no say over. It’s a little bit harder to find joy when everything around you seems to be hopeless. Just the other day I was stressing myself out over things that I don’t have control over. I could literally feel myself being robbed of my joy. It’s in these moments we must remember our happiness is based on circumstances; joy is based on Christ.

2 Corinthians says we are literally outwardly "wasting away", but because we are focused on things that are eternal rather than what we see, we have an eternal glory to look forward to.
Everyone experiences happy feelings as well as unhappy feelings. There are things that happen to us that make us feel good and content for a short time, but happiness is based on circumstances and things that are good. It is true joy that we must choose to walk in. Joy is a choice! Begin to focus on the big picture rather than insignificant events that don’t mean anything to eternity and remember to choose joy!

Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday, we'll be releasing new episodes on our FOP Church Womens Podcast. This podcast addresses real issues that women face daily from a Biblical perspective with testimonies from our FOP Church family. We hope you'll tune in and hear these stories of grace, mercy and God's undeniable faithfulness in trying times!

Join us as we review the Womens Podcast in 2020 discussing our most memorable episodes, the ways this new project has impacted us as a church and as individuals, and what we hope for the women of FOP Church moving forward into 2021!

By: Whitney Northern & Elle Buell

And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
 
Luke 7:36-38 KJV
 
Whitney: Although she faced the scrutiny of everyone in the room, Mary pressed through the crowd to get to Jesus so she could, literally and figuratively, pour out her love for Him. She wept at his feet and washed them with her tears. She then used her hair to dry them, and finally she poured the oil from her box onto the feet of Jesus. In using this precious oil, and oil that had likely taken a long time to be able to afford, she shows us that praise has value. Praise costs us something...
 
Elle: When the conversation of worship comes up, people often comment on how "outward" my expressions of worship are. My quick response is always, "But you don't know the cost of my praise!" What I'm saying is that you weren't there on my bathroom floor when I considered and attempted suicide as a teenager. It wasn't your hand that protected my life and saved me from that moment... That was My God. You weren't with me when my poor decisions left me trapped in an abusive relationship, thousands of miles from my family, but God was with me and He provided escape from that situation when I cried out to Him. These are the moments that built a closeness and intimacy in my relationship with God that cause me to worship Him with an inexplicable desperation. He saved my life! He rescued me! He gave me hope and a future! I'm sure Whitney can echo these thoughts...  
 
Whitney: Yes! Praise has carried me through much heartbreak. It’s what brought me through three miscarriages. It’s what brought me through burying my son. Worship is WARship and praise is victory. There is victory when we choose to praise, even in hardships. Especially in hardships. 
 
Elle: My praise bubbles up within me because I am often reminded of these hard experiences that brought me to His feet. Likewise, we don't know what Mary must've gone through to cause her to worship Christ with such extravagance. When we truly consider the ways God has blessed us, a boldness wells up inside of us and suddenly it doesn't matter who is watching, who is listening, who is nearby; we are overcome by the need to just pour ourselves out at His feet. I would challenge you to spend time today reflecting on how God has saved you, forgiven you, loved you, blessed you, and rescued you. If you're anything like me, you won't be able to contain that praise. Share with someone today the testimony of what God has done in your life, or what I call “the cost of your praise”. 

By: Pastor Bobbi Morgan

Perfect, absolute peace surrounds those whose imaginations are consumed with you; they confidently trust in you.

Isaiah 26:3 TPT  

Where have you let your imagination run wild lately? Waking up going straight to your Facebook feed or going to bed listening to the news can usually steal your rest and peace. If your problem seems bigger than God, you have let your imagination turn into nightmare.

So how do we obtain peace in a world filled with conflict?  

We can’t fill our head with garbage and think we will produce something clean. I encourage you today to pay attention to where you are giving your "attention". Don’t allow the enemy to rob you of your dreams!

Philippians 4:8 says, “So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always."

If you're following along with our daily devotion, we want you to join us for our Sunday morning message as well! You can hear the message LIVE on our Facebook page every Sunday morning at 9:30am... you can also catch the latest messages on our FOP Church app, or by visiting https://fopchurch.net/media

By: Dina Boitnott

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
 
Matthew 5:6 MEV
 
We will be able to feel the presence of God radiating all He is in and through us when we are full. We will be stronger, more joyful, and at peace. God would like us to stay full, but we aren't always as hungry as we could be.  
 
The 120 in the upper room after Jesus crucifixion were gloriously filled.  I'm sure hunger was driving them. As we call out in desperation and hunger, He will fill us. It is our thirst and hunger that draws from Him. If we stay in a state of hunger, there will be a constant flow.  
 
Sometimes our well needs to be primed a bit —pray for spiritual hunger. 

By: Whitney Huff

For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
 
Proverbs 2:6 (NASB)
 
Life gets busy! I think we can all relate to that statement. I know, speaking for myself, that I can get so engulfed in my day to day life, that I forget to even pick up my Bible. I often try to do this life on my own, and always end up failing in doing so. 
 
When I read this scripture, it immediately grabs my heart. I need His word. If I would just slow down and remember my first love, I could avoid so many problems. This scripture says it all. His word is everything! It holds the answer to all my questions. It is my strength, it is life line. My prayer for all today is that we slow down. That we always remember our first love. 

By: Chandler Demler

Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Romans 13:13-14 NKJV

There are so many things today that have the capability of distracting us and taking our focus off the Lord. It’s easier than ever before for us to be consumed by things like social media, sports, secular music, and just the busyness of life! Some of these things aren’t necessarily bad, but they can become harmful when we fail to put them in the right place. Satan knows that once he gets our focus off the Lord, he can begin to attack us in his creative ways. He wants us to fall back into old habits, addictions, and lifestyles.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” That means get in the Word EVERY DAY and begin to allow God to speak to you. Give God the first of your day and put Him at the center of your life and there will be great joy. Begin to regulate how much of "the world" you allow into your life and ask yourself the question: Will this worldly “thing” make me better? Could it be hindering my relationship with Jesus?

Live your life intentionally. Let there be a purpose for everything you partake in!

By: Tim & Cheri Henderson

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  

Isaiah 9:6-7 NKJV
 
Hustling, bustling, shopping, traveling, cooking, parties, banquets, pageants, Christmas cantatas and children’s programs, decorations, trees, lights, and holiday gift and clothing purchases ... every year we get caught up in the busyness of Christmas, creatively trying to come up with the perfect gift for every person on our list, stressed about making arrangements to please everyone, pressured to balance an already busy schedule with unlimited additional activities, and pushed to attend, give, join, gather and perform.
 
Sometimes though, in the midst of all of the hustle and bustle, can’t you almost hear the still, small voice of the Father whispering “My child! You’ve forgotten again the reason for the season. Choose the better thing and come away with me for a little while.” And as we listen to His voice and do as He asks . . . it becomes an “ahhhh” moment. Instant peace from the Peace Giver.
 
In the last few weeks of this Christmas season, we just want to encourage you to take some time in the midst of your busy days to choose the better thing, to find a quiet place with the Lord and make loving God your first priority! It truly will renew you and empower you to make Jesus the reason for every gift you give, every cookie you bake, every card you write and send, and every activity you attend. And we pray the true Christmas Spirit, the Holy Spirit, fills you with great joy and peace this Christmas! 

By: Elle Buell

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Matthew 7:7-11 NLT

I URGE YOU-- take 20 minutes and watch or listen to this teaching from Karen Wheaton. If you find yourself in a season where you are in need of a miracle, or you are feeling hopeless, or you are feeling forgotten, take some time and listen to this word. I believe we are in a season of miracles. I feel in my spirit that there are miracles stirring all around us right now. HOWEVER, it is not the time to sit back and wait and watch for those miracles to happen; it is the time to KEEP ON ASKING and KEEP ON PRAISING!

By: Moriah Logsdon

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.

Matthew 9:17 NLT

There was a time in my life where I fell into a deep circumstantial depression. I felt a pressing urge to really start reading and studying my Bible. Since my circumstance was pressing me into a dark place, I decided to press back with the Word of God.

Once I leaned into His Word, I noticed it didn’t take three trendy worship songs on a Sunday morning for me to freely worship. The Spirit was in me! My life became worship. I was no longer storing my worship in old wine skins; I had a NEW worship that I was pressing into daily. The more I pressed, the more He crushed my fears, doubts, and depression.

One day, while a friend was talking about not knowing her giftings, in the back of my mind I knew one of my gifts. I started pressing into gifts God had instilled in me when He created me. I then felt conviction: Why did God give me a voice to sing? How could the Creator of life look down on me and give me this gift, and what does He think of me not using it? If He instilled worship in me, the least I can do is be His vessel. The least I can do is sing His praises. Doesn’t he deserve to receive the talents that He gave us to used for His glory?

The dark place I was in quickly became the catalyst for me to press into my giftings. If not for the frustration, I couldn’t have produced wine from the old fruit of my situation. Only God could use a seed of doubt that I buried beneath Him to produce a new wine.

What talents or gifts has God placed in your heart? How can you use these giftings to honor God?

If you're following along with our daily devotion, we want you to join us for our Sunday morning message as well! You can hear the message LIVE on our Facebook page every Sunday morning at 9:30am... you can also catch the latest messages on our FOP Church app, or by visiting https://fopchurch.net/media

By: Jill Collins

Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his gifts], and when he is old he will not depart from it.
 
Proverbs 22:6 AMPC
 
We have a duty as parents to help our children grow in their own special way and to accomplish what God has for them in their lives. That is to help them make good choices and take the right paths. A child is certainly not capable of this on its own.  
 
Deuteronomy 6:5-7 tells us to “love the Lord with our whole being, and keep this command in your heart as you allow it to penetrate, and teach that to your children day and night.” So talk with and encourage your children in the Word, as well as showing them the love of God. They are watching your every move and hearing your every word and how you speak it. Pray and ask God to help you and He will. Be encouraged parents, you are doing a great job! 

By: Jennifer Nystrom

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the peace of God will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9 NIV

My mother had many “momisms” that she shared with me while growing up. You know, those little life lessons in the form of quotes that stick with you. One that made a big impact on me was, “you don’t have to stick your head in a garbage can to know there is garbage in it.”

Her point being, we don’t need to see or experience many things of the world just to understand why it’s bad. Some argue that if we aren’t familiar with the things of the world, how can we relate to and understand the unbeliever. I don’t have to go to an R-rated movie to see firsthand why the content is not pleasing to the Lord. We don’t need to be filling our minds with questionable song lyrics or steamy novels just to be able to relate to our neighbor.  

What we do need is to fill our minds with things that encourage us to be loving, caring human beings. As we fill our hearts and minds with the things that are pleasing to God, we become more like Him—pure in mind, pure in heart.

Plan of Action: Identify one thing that you could eliminate that may not be pleasing to the Lord and fill it with something that you know would be pleasing to God. 

By: Chandler Demler

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."

John 6:12 NIV

It is so easy to read this passage and focus mainly on the miracle itself. However, I believe there’s so much more here for us to realize. After Jesus performed the miracle of feeding the five thousand with only five small loaves of bread and two fish, He instructed the disciples to go out and gather the leftovers. I love how He specifically told them to “let nothing be wasted.” What a perfect representation of the heart of our God. He went so far as to have what was left over gathered so that it could be used at a later time!

How many times have we asked God “why me”? Maybe you have found yourself at such a low place and you don’t understand how you could ever recover. There are some things that happen that we may not understand and might even cause us to begin to doubt, but we serve a faithful God! God wants to use every detail and aspect of our lives for His ultimate glory. There is NOTHING that we could ever walk through or face in this life that He cannot turn around and use!

James chapter 1 says it best: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2 NIV)

Be encouraged today knowing that there is not one trial He won’t attach purpose to! Begin to shift your worldview of trials and let them form and mold you into who God wants you to be!

Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday, we'll be releasing new episodes on our FOP Church Womens Podcast. This podcast addresses real issues that women face daily from a Biblical perspective with testimonies from our FOP Church family. We hope you'll tune in and hear these stories of grace, mercy and God's undeniable faithfulness in trying times!

One of the more difficult parts of parenthood is when your children grow up and leave home. That's what most people refer to as becoming an "empty nester". However, 2020 has left many of us with an "empty nest" for many other reasons as well. As we've faced a global pandemic, many have spent holidays, special occasions, birthdays, etc. with an "emptier than usual" home. Unfortunately, a large number of people have lost loved ones to this virus and are facing a more permanent change than imagined. In this episode, we talk with Vicky Piper who became (kind of famously) an empty nester several years ago, but we also address the void of losing a loved one and what hope we have as we approach the holiday season this year. We learn how Vicky finds joy in counting blessings and trusting in Jesus.