Morning Encouragement

No More Delays: What Are You Waiting For? | Day 21 “For he says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2, NIV Good morning, and welcome to the last morning of this journey together. This series opened with a question that would not let any of us sit comfortably: what are we waiting for?

No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 20 “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15, NIV

No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 19 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47, NIV

No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 18 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved." Ezekiel 33:7-9, NIV A quiet good morning to you. Most of us can remember a conversation where we knew exactly what needed to be said, and said nothing instead. Not because we did not care. Because saying it felt like too much to risk. This morning we look honestly at that kind of silence, and at the God who was never silent about us. What Silence Actually Costs This series has spent seventeen mornings on delay, the slow drift of putting off what w...

No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 17 "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel," Ephesians 6:18-19, NIV

No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 15 "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32, NIV Good morning, and thank you for bringing whatever this morning holds into these next few minutes.

No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 15 "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?" 2 Corinthians 13:5, NIV Good morning. There are some questions that reach deeper than others.

No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 14 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21, NIV

No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 13 "Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." Hebrews 9:27-28, NIV Comfort and courage to you this morning.

 No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 12 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Matthew 24:42-44, NIV

 No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 11 "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10, NIV God's blessings on your morning. There is something comforting about arriving somewhere and discovering that everything has already been set out ahead of time.

No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 10 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9, NIV A blessed good morning to you. Sometimes the hardest part of doing good is not beginning but rather it is continuing to do good when nothing seems to change.

No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 9 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5, NIV May God’s peace meet you early this morning. A branch cut from the vine may still look alive for a little while.

No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 8 "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9, NIV A warm welcome to you this morning.

No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 7 "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet." Matthew 10:14, NIV Good morning. There are few things more discouraging than sharing the hope of Jesus Christ with someone who simply is not interested.

No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 6 “Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Mark 10:21-22, NIV

No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 5 “The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” Acts 8:29-31, NIV

 No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For | Day 4A "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" Matthew 28:18-20, NIV

 No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For? | Day 3 “Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” John 4:35, NIV Good morning to you. Most of us have stood in a crowd big enough that we stopped seeing individuals in it.

No More Delay: What Are You Waiting For? | Day 2 "Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'" Matthew 9:37-38, NIV Good morning. Most of us carry one sentence close at hand, the one that starts with I would, but. We do not use it to reject God. We use it to postpone him a little longer. This morning we take a clear look at that sentence, and at what God has already done about it. The Excuses We Recognize The harvest has never been the problem. Jesus did not say there were too few people who needed the gospel, or too little opportunity or need. Matthew tells us what moved him first. "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:36, NIV). Then he named the actual shortage to his disciples. "Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plen...