Second Stage Ministries

I did this last year and I wanted to do it again. Last year on this date I chose a word for 2017 and wrote a post about it. This year I want to do the same and I hope that this word will not only be for me but for other as well. I hope this word breaks chains and unlocks things for you in 2018. I know it will for me. The word I have chosen for 2018 is NEW . Now let me show you where this word comes from. Let me direct our attention to the passage of Scripture below from Isaiah: “ This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a NEW thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” - Isaiah 43:16-19 NIV As you read the story of I

Do you like getting presents? Of course we all do! Do you like giving presents? Now see that's where it gets a little tougher. Maybe you don't know what to get for someone and you struggle every year to find something for them. Maybe you feel that they don't deserve a gift. They just flat out don't deserve it. Maybe there are some other variables involved that make it hard for you to give a gift. Sometimes with give gifts that have strings attached. We give gifts to get attention or something in return. We give gifts that will benefit us just as much as the person to whom we are giving it. We give gifts with strings attached. In the movie, How The Grinch Stole Christmas , he succeeds at stealing The Who's things thinking that he will destroy their Christmas. But when The Who's celebrate Christmas anyway without anything at all, the Grinch can figure it out. Then he has a revelation that "Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas

This is something that can be overlooked in a quick glance at the Christmas story. Let's take a look: “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'  'When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'" - Luke 2:8-12 +15 NIV Shepherds were the lowest of the low. People usually didn't associate with them. Nobody introduced them as friends and surely no one would have

I had many different thoughts for what to focus on for this Christmas season. But if we know anything for the Christmas story is that our plans can be shaken up when God gets involved. God flies in and changes things up and that sometimes is the best thing that can happen to us. As I was sitting in church this weekend, God dropped this idea in my head. So here we go. As we see Mary and Joseph in Luke 1 and Matthew 1, they are engaged to married. They were both young and thought that they knew how it was going to go. Joseph had a job and was a good man. They probably had plans of how it was going to go. How they would get a place to live and call their own and what the wedding would be. But one night god changed all of their plans. God sent Gabriel down to have a conversation with Mary. The appearance of the angel freaked Mary out a little bit. I mean let's be honest we all would be a little freaked out if a heavenly being just showed up in our presence. Then Gabriel

I had a different plan for this post, but this verse came across the Bible app yesterday and it just jumped out me. Here is the verse: “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." - Isaiah 41:13 NIV This was such a good reminder for me. Life can throw a lot at us sometimes, but we don't have to face it alone! God is holding our hand and going with us. At the beginning of this Christmas season, I am also reminded of one of the names of God - Emmanuel (God with us). [1] This verse in Isaiah just brought all of this together for me at a time when I needed it. A peace came over me in that moment. A peace that can only come when we know that God is in control and He is right there. When I picture this verse, I see God and myself (or insert yourself here) walking along the paths of life with my hand in His mighty hand and He is whispering the words "Don't be afraid, I'm here with you.&quo