Everyday Matters by Debbie Griffith

11/30/2023

Grace of God

Thursday Matters- November 30, 2023
Everyday Bumper Stickers

A guy and his car are standing at the pearly gates. The car is covered with Christian bumper stickers. The guy is trying to talk his way into heaven, but Peter won't budge. The guy says, "But look at my car!" Peter finally compromises and says, "OK, your car can come in..."

Much of the time people don't realize what forgiveness truly means in their lives. They really believe the sin that separates them from God in the first place, is worth it. And sometimes they look at forgiveness as a license to keep on living in the flesh while expecting God to jump through hoops they’ve set up. When we have a relationship with God, we get the Holy Spirit living in us and THAT is what keeps us from staying comfortable in our sins. You look at Paul talking to the Romans, and he says, “I sometimes fall and do what I don’t want but with Jesus I don’t have to stay down.” We can walk and drive in freedom when we let God’s forgiveness change us…everyday.

11/29/2023

Unconditional Love

Wednesday Matters- November 29, 2023
Everyday Well Loved

Amanda felt that no matter what she did she could never remove the stain from her past mistakes. She felt she was constantly trying to prove herself and even though her past mistakes where behind her and she had been sober for years she couldn’t shake her feelings that she was really loved but still judged. Jesus met a woman at the well who was a sinner, but He didn’t condemn her. He met her thirst. So, she ran back into town to let others know, that despite her past, Jesus accepted her where she was at. He hasn’t changed.

Nothing we could do would ever take His love away from us nor is there anything we could do to cause Him to love us more. He knows us, our pains and our past. HE IS here, waiting to make creative, redemptive use of what has happened. He “gets us” and loves us unconditionally…everyday.

11/28/2023

Serving Others

Tuesday Matters- November 28, 2023
Everyday Grocery Carts

The first time I saw the cart lady she was pushing close to 15 carts back into the grocery store. I was surprised I’d never seen the cart lady since my small town only had two grocery stores and I visited this particular one at least three times a week. This woman in her 70’s watched me carefully as I left the store with my cart and after my groceries were in my van, she, without a word took my cart to return it. I stopped her, “Do you work here?” “No,” she replied, “but I figured better get some exercise than sit and watch TV all day.”

Last week she noticed me and without a word, helped unload my groceries. As she walked away pushing my cart, she turned grinning, “I like what I do.” Jesus calls us all to love and serve those He puts before us. I think He knows that real contentment comes in giving more than receiving …everyday.

11/27/2023

Adoption

Monday Matters-November 27, 2023
Everyday Adoptions

Yesterday a police officer was stationed at the state courthouse. This afternoon the judge finalized a case in which a 3-year-old boy was officially adopted by his late mom’s best friend two years after the boy’s parents and grandparents died in a car accident. The boy has been living with his mom’s best friend ever since the accident and he treats her as if she is his real mom. Once the adoption was approved, everyone in the courtroom was smiling. But before the judge had a chance to slam the gavel and dismiss everyone, the boy ran up to the judge and asked if he could do it.

The judge laughed and nodded yes. So, smiling ear to ear, the boy sat on the judge’s lap, looked up at everyone in the courtroom, slammed the gavel, and finalized his own adoption. Are you lost? Maybe you’ve always felt alone and like you never belonged. Here’s the good news. God adopts you in when you say “yes” to Him. He chooses and loves us …everyday.

11/24/2023

Family

Friday Matters- November 24, 2023
Everyday Older Brother

“I’m a high school graduate because of my older brother,” Kevin told me. I’m healthy and I’m alive because of my older brother Tim.” Today Kevin is 18 and his older brother Tim is 29. When Kevin was seven and Tim was 18, he got an apartment on his own so they could live “on the good side of town.” They moved out of the Crack House their drug addicted mother was living in and who’s now sadly passed away. Tim worked two jobs to pay the bills and always made sure Kevin was safe, fed and at school on time. “He basically saved my life,” said Kevin. “I could never repay him, but I can step up and make a difference in someone else’s live like he did mine.”

God makes a difference in your life when you let Him. Stress less on all the things, you think, He might take away and instead focus on the freedom and love He has to give, no matter who you are or where you’ve been. Share God’s love with others. God loves us…everyday.

11/23/2023

The Name of God

Thursday Matters- November 23, 2023
Everyday God Name

We hear it all the time, the phrase “Oh, my God!” to express a thought or idea that is incredible or unbelievable. But as we grow in a relationship with Christ we need to realize that when we say, “Oh, my God” we’re, in fact, violating one of God’s Ten Commandments; “You shall not use the name of the Lord your God in vain.” (Exodus 20:7)
My husband tells the story, when as a new believer returning to play cards with his buddies, he very intently asked them not to swear using God’s name; if they did he wouldn’t be able to play. There was a stunned silence until one of his friends spoke and said, “Okay, we’ll respect that.” Another guy said, “But can we still say, ‘blankity-blank and blank?’” My husband said, “Sure, that’s fine, just don’t use the name of the Lord in vain.” There’s such power in God’s name. He is Holy. He is Love. He and His name should always be respected and honored…everyday.

11/22/2023

Heaven

Wednesday Matters- November 22, 2023
Everyday Eternity

God’s love is perfect and He’s perfectly holy too. In His holiness He must punish sin because sin blocks us from having a relationship with Him. God’s love for us brought Him to earth as fully God and fully man to take the punishment and pay for our sins by dying on the cross and then coming back to life. We cannot earn our way to heaven with good works. We now have a choice. Do we accept the sacrificial gift He offers with the hope of heaven where we too will be fully restored physically complete, whole with a purpose or do we refuse His gift and live forever without Him with weeping and gnashing of teeth?

God dearly loves you and so He has a plan of restoration by His grace and in 1 John 1:9 in the Bible it says that when we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and He’ll remove all our sins, all our unrighteousness so we can live with hope and freedom now and into eternity…everyday.

11/21/2023

Real Tolerance

Tuesday Matters- November 21, 2023
Everyday Real Tolerance

Not everyone likes me. I know. I believe in the death and resurrection of Christ being God for the forgiveness of my sins. I would be called a Christian, but it doesn’t mean that all Christians agree on the same beliefs. I have friends of diversity with different beliefs and lifestyles and some things we agree on and some things we don’t. I love people. Only people last forever and how we treat others will be the true legacy we leave behind. No matter who someone is I hope to always listen and learn while being kind.

Honestly, I like to be challenged. But I’m not ashamed that I believe John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not die but have eternal life.” This view doesn’t make me popular with everyone, but I try and seek God’s approval. My aim is to show the love of Christ by giving grace and treating others with kindness and respect regardless of our different opinions or beliefs…everyday.

11/20/2023

Purpose in Life

Monday Matters-November 20, 2023
Everyday God Purpose

Do you think about what God sees in you or what others see? It’s often a process to care more about what God sees in you rather than care what others think or see. When our identity and strength come from Him then we have the mindset to ask God, “Where should I go, who should I meet, and “How can I serve?” But how often do we find ourselves making wonderful plans and then asking God, “Bless what I’ve decided is good.” God is not a Genie in a Bible. It’s not about saying the correct verses and trying to perfect behavior. it’s about trusting God’s goodness, promises and faithfulness and when life doesn’t look or feel good.

God doesn’t need me to be heard on the radio, write books or be a speaker. He loves us for who we are and not for what we do. He gives us purpose with the gifts He’s given us simply because He’s good and He loves us…everyday.

11/17/2023

Children

Friday Matters- November 17, 2023
Everyday No Greater Joy

I remember the Easter that each of our four sons shared how they knew God was real. Each boy revealed how they talked to God and how He talked to them. It was so reassuring to hear they knew Jesus personally in a relationship, not as a religion. So TRUE is 3 John 1:4; “I’ve no greater joy than to hear our children follow truth.”

In 2010 (tweleve years ago) the local newspaper interviewed our son, Marco about his trip to the Philippines and Marco said; “So, I’ve got a relationship with God and it’s great because when I was younger it was the religion stuff—go to church, memorize verses…but when I really started talking to God, He started talking to me, I got along a lot better. I want to get that through to people in the Philippines. God is a person that you talk to. Not a person really, but God, and you can talk to Him and He’ll talk to you. And it’s not a one way conversation”…everyday.