Lakeside Christian Church Blog

November 6 – God is Faithful   1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.   Scripture Reading – Ruth 1 What a wonderful truth to remember as we prepare for worship: God is faithful, and He has called us into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. Our relationship with God does not rest on our ability to remain faithful to Him but on His unwavering faithfulness to us. Through Jesus, we are welcomed into a relationship with the living God and into a community of people who belong to Him. In Ruth 1, we encounter a story marked by loss, grief, and uncertainty. Naomi loses her husband and both sons while living in Moab. Overwhelmed by sorrow, she decides to return to Bethlehem, and Ruth chooses to accompany her. Ruth's words express remarkable devotion: “ For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God ” (Ruth 1:16). Though the future is uncertain...

October 30 – God Alone is Worthy of Our Devotion   2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.   Scripture Reading – Judges 10 God calls His people to humble themselves, seek Him earnestly, and turn from their sin. This invitation reminds us that worship begins with hearts willing to acknowledge our need for His mercy. In Judges 10, Israel once again turns away from the Lord, serving other gods and forsaking the One who had repeatedly delivered them. When suffering comes, they cry out to God and confess their sin. Yet their story also reveals that repentance involves more than words; they must put away their idols and return to the Lord. As we prepare for worship, may we examine our hearts, confess our sin, and turn our attention away from competing loyalties. God alone is worthy of our devotion. Let us come hum...

  Day 12 – Going Home   Key Passages: Micah 6:8 ; Hebrews 13:1-2 , 14-16 ; Isaiah 54:5-10 ; Ezekiel 47:1-12 ;  Revelation 21:1-27 , 22:1-5 ; Genesis 2:8-14 Fall of 2023 was filled with anticipation of a Lakeside trip to the Holy Land. The itinerary was set, reflective passages selected, and 8 out of 12 devotionals written to prepare our hearts and minds for the pilgrimage.   However, October 7 changed everything. The attack on the Gaza strip caused a tremendous loss of life, hundreds of people taken as hostages, and an instability that hadn’t been seen in the region for years. The final four 2023 devotionals were written with broken hearts for the suffering that was occurring in Israel and throughout the world. But they were also written with an unwavering hope that Scripture assures us that Jesus Christ and the hope of the Gospel don’t hinge on our circumstances (even horrible ones), but on the character of God.   Praise God that the region has regained some s...

October 23 – Worship Begins With Remembering   Psalm 103:1–5 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.   Scripture Reading – Judges 7 Psalm 103:1–5 calls us to worship the Lord with our whole being, remembering His benefits: forgiveness, healing, redemption, steadfast love, and the renewal of our strength. Worship begins when we remember who God is and what He has done for us. As we gather Sunday, we come not because we have earned His favor, but because He is gracious and worthy of our praise. In Judges 7, we will see God deliver Israel from the Midianites through Gideon and a remarkably small army. God deliberately reduced Gideon’s forces so Israel could not boast that...

  October 16 – Good Can Come   Hebrews 13:20-21 –  Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.   Scripture Reading – Judges 6   This week’s Scripture is the call of Gideon, which he doesn’t exactly answer with enthusiasm. It has often been said that “God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called.” This is absolutely true, and our Hebrews passage says as much – God will “equip you with everything good that you may do his will.” However, it seems like Gideon’s abilities might not be the primary issue.    The angel of the LORD said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.” (v 12) This is followed by a long list of doubts and excuses why Gideon thinks this is not so, including, “How c...

Day 10 – Sea of Galilee & Northern Israel   Day 10 is jam packed with sites and scripture full of both sin and our Savior. We’ll go on a journey of sorts from considering the weak, sinful nature of humanity to the saving light that breaks through the darkness (again and again).   A few things stood out in the passages. One, they are full of action. Jesus hit the ground running in his ministry, and there are many descriptors of time to emphasize this. Second, despite the urgency of his work, Jesus prioritized and took time for prayer and solitude. Finally, we see a pattern of sin or weakness being exhibited, even repeated, but never as the end of the story. Instead, we are assured that we have a loving, merciful Savior in Jesus our Lord.   Matthew 4:12-16 Our morning reading is the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Capernaum. The first word in verse 12 is “now,” which means at the present time or moment. We know very little about Jesus’s life up to this point. But this i...