Memories & Monuments

Easter has always been an important day at our house.  When our children were younger we read the Easter passages to them and talked about God's love for them and the world.  We dyed Easter eggs, had great lunches and the all important afternoon Easter Egg Hunt.  Never saw those kids set the table, eat, clean the table off, do some general clean up of the kitchen so fast.  Sometimes I would be about half done with lunch and they would be clearing the table and washing dishes.  "Yes I do mind if you have my plate and glass, I'm still eating here thank you!"

The hunt was always amazing, it had to be in the front & side yards.  The dog would find the eggs and then proceed to eat them, it was not right he could smell them out & besides he never did learn to hide his eyes while we were hiding them.  We always had the special GOLDEN EGG to be found, along with the egg with your name on it.  At times we had to have multiple hunts for the GOLDEN EGG, that way everyone could find it.  All of these are wonderful memories we will laugh about and cherish from now on.

The monuments were reading the Scripture to our children, and hearing it again ourselves.  How God could give his all for us and all the world as well.  That is just amazing!  I know as a father &grandfather I would never sacrifice my children & grandchildren for anyone else.  Especially people who were not the least bit grateful.  GOD DID!!!  We don't deserve His love but we are still the beneficiaries of this love.  We are also the vessels in which he has chosen to pass this information on to our world.  How great a love, how can it be?  Thank you God.

Butch

Trust Me, He Knows What He Is Doing!

Mark 11:11  "Jesus looked around at everything"

We live our lives so much of the time as if we are in total control of everything that goes on around us.  In our minds we control what we do, when we do it and how we do it.  Now that may be stroking our ego a little much in reality.

Let's take a look at our lives.  We get up to the alarm so as not to be late for work, watching our speed not to get a ticket and obeying other rules of the road.  Answer the phone as people are calling about various things important to them.  Check our calendars to see where & when we need to be.  Take an hour for lunch at the appropriate time and do all the errands we need to get done for the family.  Back to work while remembering all the things we need to do this afternoon for the children, husband or wife.  Leave at the designated time, rush to the store, post office, home, chores, supper, projects we have going.  Now it is 10 pm, ah yes we have "my time" to do what I want now, until 6am.  Yes sir it is great being in control of our lives isn't it?

Face it we can't control the little part of our own world let alone EVERYTHING else.  The Scripture says that Jesus takes in EVERYTHING and makes decisions without so much as a tiny bit of frustration and concern.
When you have defeated Death and Sin for all eternity for all of mankind, the rest is a piece of cake.  Allowing Jesus to work in & through us is the only control we really need in our lives.  Jesus can handle life and all it's problems & joys, He has done it for a long time.

Butch

Our Expectations

Mark 11:8 "Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches, they had cut in fields."  What are our expectations of God?  Boy most of us have a list, wooowhee, it is long, it is specific and it is about me & mine. That's for sure.  We want the three H's, you know Health, Happiness & Heaven along with a long list of other things.  They are love, sense of purpose, great family & friends, stability, and the list goes on and on.  If we were to think about it for a minute we could come up with a multitude of other expectations if we put our minds to it I bet.

What has got to be frustrating for God is our wanting it, (whatever it is), NOW!  Then we go into this "Does God not love me and want me to be happy?  Why has He not answered my prayers like I want Him to?  What does He want or need me to do?"  Seriously get over yourself people, God does not want or need anything from us.  He is NOT dependent on us, it's the other way around.  God is pretty undemanding on us, while we on the other hand are very demanding on Him.  To tell the truth we are just plain needy & selfish.  It appears that we may the problem in this relationship.

The people in Mark 11:8 were prasing and honoring Jesus one week and the next they were screaming "Crucify him".  All God has ever asked of us can be found in Micah 6:8.  It states "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."  Pretty simple, makes our demands and prayers seem a bit selfish.  Maybe if we were more about God and less about ourselves Easter wouldn't be just one day a year.

Something to think about.

Butch

Before & Behind

Mark 11:9

What an amazing verse, I love this verse it is like God slipped this one in to remind us where we stand.  "Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hossanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

If that doesn't get your attention I'm not sure you are alive.  We,(the Christians of today ) are where we are today in our Christian faith because of all those who stood before us.  They paved the way, fought the battles, died for the cause of Christ, left homes, families, health & wealth behind.  To say they were committed is a bit of an understatment.  Christians in Mills County, Texas are not persecuted, ridiculed, punished or belittled for our beliefs.  Yet we do not live or proclaim, Christ the Lord, the Risen Saviour the one who can change the world for some reason.  Instead we have enslaved ourselves to public opinion, what others might think and "this is uncomfortable for me" mentality.  All of which renders us powerless to be what God has intended us to be.  The point is we are placed here IN THIS TIME AND IN THIS PLACE TO POINT OTHERS TO JESUS CHRIST.  We are not here to coast on what others have done.

We have the responsibility to pass on to others, those who follow us, the correct information & more importantly our relationship with Christ.  It is all about Jesus Christ and who he is and what he has done for us all.  We, my friends are literally standing in the gap between the past and the future.  It is our responsibility, not someone elses, to boldly live and proclaim Christ to OUR world.  It is time to "Man up" for our God & Saviour in our daily lives.

Because He Lives,

Butch

Invisible at Times

Mark 11:5 & 6

Sometimes it feels like you are invisible to others doesn't it?  That's natural we all have had those kind of moments.  Face it the sooner we realize that our world "Is Not The Center Of The Universe", the better off we will be.  The 2 disciples that Jesus sent on this mission were simply following his instructions.  They were, it seems a little self conscious about what they were doing.  Not unlike ourselves at times.

From time to time we have opportunities to make a difference in our world, usually in small seemingly unimportant actions.  These disciples were to carry out their part and move on.  If you will notice we don't even know their names, no fanfare  or attention being drawn to them.  Today we would have to have a committee, sub-committee, enviromental impact study on moving the animal, animal rights advocate for making sure the animal was treated correctly, CNN to give updates and protesters bused in just for the cameras.

Instead the people there asked, as Jesus said they would, the disciples answered and the whole thing wasn't a big deal at all.  Many times God does wonderful and ordinary things without the world even noticing.  How awesome is that?  I think all of us could be used more in God's work if we, like those disciples, didn't care if our names were mentioned.  Those disciples just served the Lord, period.

Something to think about.

Butch

Polite or Frightened?

Mark 11:3

Sometimes in reading passages I get hung up on a phrase and can't seem to move past it.
So it is with the statement in verse 3 "If anyone ask you".  Four words that say volumes to
me and to you hopefully.

Jesus was talking to 2 of his disciples so he knew exactly what to say, how to say it, and
why  he was saying it.  We all have people in our lives that require us to word things carefully.  As children & youth we said to our parents at some point "but you said".  Yeah, we have a habit to take things literally, (when it suits our purpose of course), so we can have a little wiggle room to get out of things if we think it benefits us.  So I guess we are like the disciples in this way, they were human also.

Jesus knew their first question to him would be "what if they ask us why"?  It wasn't like they were afraid Emily Post would come out and chastize them for their bad manners.  No it was more about, even after all the time they had spent with Jesus, they were still fearful of "what people would say".  He calmed their fears and explain what they should do all at the same time.

Isn't that just like Jesus to take care of our questions before we ask them?

Thanks Jesus

Butch

Selected Blogs for the Weekend

For the weekend I have selected some blogs that have challenged me over the past few weeks.  I hope you take a few minutes to select and read one.  

Finding Strength in Your Weakness by Dane Ortlund

The Complainer and Jesus by Jonathan Dodson

Transform Your Bible Reading by Dane Ortlund

Video: Victory in My Disgrace by New Spring Church (this is an incredible testimony from a sexual assault victim)

See ya Sunday FBC family!

Patrick

Of Puppies and Preeminence

I apologize for posting this blog so late in the day.  Our Labrador Retriever Lily decided to give birth to seven puppies this morning between 2:30 and 6:45.  It was a neat experience to witness but really ruined my ability to focus before noon.

Yesterday we looked at the glorious might of our Lord Jesus.  Today I'd like to continue looking at Colossians 1:15-17:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 

How do we know and understand the nature and character of God?  We look at Jesus!  Hebrews 1:3 says Jesus is the exact imprint of God the Father.  Here in Colossians Paul says He is the image of God.  Not a close copy, not a glimpse but the full nature and character of God in human form.  If we want to know God and have relationship with Him we must know Jesus.  

We have to be in scripture reading about Jesus.  We have to read John 8 where the religious leaders bring a woman caught in adultery to Jesus to learn that our God is merciful.  We have to read John 11 when Jesus is on His way to raise Lazarus from the dead and He stops with Martha and Mary and shows us that our God is a God of compassion.  We have to read Luke 8 where Jesus stops the storm to learn that God is all powerful even over nature.  I could go on and on but you get the idea.  

Jesus was 100% God and is the revelation of God himself to us.  We don't have to guess; we can know the living God that rules the universe.

He is the firstborn.  This doesn't mean He was created.  It is a title of position, meaning he is in the position of inheritance and authority.  Jesus is Eternal, He was there at creation creating and He is the ruler over every created thing from puppies and trees to gravity and a universe than spans light years.

Does the God who rules all creation, things visible and invisible, rule in your heart?  We all have a throne on our heart.  Who or what sits on the throne of your heart?  Take some time today to reflect on Christ who is the King on the throne of your heart.

Blessings and puppy breath,

Patrick

His Glorious Might

Continuing in Colossians 1 verse 11 we read,

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy...

His Glorious Might, wow!!  We can't do this life on our own.  Today I'd like for you to take a moment and reflect on God's glorious might.

Have you heard the expression "too big for your britches?"  My britches are pretty big but still there are times that I forget my place in the grand scheme of life and eternity.  This happens when we look at and meditate on ourselves more than we meditate on God and His Word.  There is the throne of our heart that Christ should sit on, however, many times we replace Him with another love.  When this happens it is good to get perspective and repent, change our mind about our idol and submit to the leadership of Jesus in our lives.

Here is a passage for you to reflect on today:

Psalm  8

 ¹O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. ² Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. ³When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, ⁴ what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?  ⁵Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. ⁶You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;  you have put all things under his feet, ⁷all sheep and oxen,  and also the beasts of the field, ⁸the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.  ⁹O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

  

Who am I? I am nothing but humble and obedient in the presence of The Mighty and Glorious King Jesus.  This glorious might, the might that created and sustains the universe, is the power that is available to me and you, to strengthen us to endure and persevere and to do it with joy.  Tap into that power today.  Remember your place and submit to the will of the Lord in your life.

Take time to reflect.  Maybe write your own psalm in your heart as your drive to work.  Reflect on creation, things large and tiny.  Pray and ask the Lord to give you proper perspective and help you tap into His Glorious Might that you might be strengthened as you continue in your obedience.

Blessings,

Patrick

The Walk that Pleases the Lord

Currently our students are walking through a study of the book of Colossians.  This past week we looked at Colossians 1:9-10 which says:

⁹And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Many of us are curious and have asked ourselves the question 'How do I please God?'  I love that Paul in verse 10 clearly states what that walk, in other words our conduct, should look like.  He gives us two things:

1. That we bear fruit in every good work, and
2. That we increase in the knowledge of God

Lets start with number two.  Increasing in the knowledge of God means that we continue to grow in our understanding of who God is.  We do this by looking at Jesus who is God.  His earthly life is recorded and we can see the character and nature of God by looking at Jesus.  Hebrews 1:3 says 'He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature...'  To know God you must have a relationship with Him.  Only when I have relationship with Jesus can I imitate Him.  Our imitation of Jesus leads us to number one listed above.

We must bear fruit in every good work.  The common misconception is that I do good works to earn God's favor, to earn His love.  This is totally false.  This is called religion and Jesus hates religion.  This is what he continues to preach to the Pharisees.  Matthew 23 is a perfect example of Jesus calling out the Pharisees for religion, an outward expression that is not matched by a heart that is transformed by the grace and mercy of Jesus.

The reason we started with number two and then looked at number one is because knowledge of God leads to bearing fruit in every good work.  Good works never leads to a knowledge of God.  When we know God and grow in our understanding of Him, then we see the example of Jesus and emulate His life, our good works.  Jesus speaks of the judgment where people stand before God and ask why their good works don't get them into heaven and he replies "Because I don't know you," in other words, "We don't have relationship."

Take a moment today to make sure you are walking in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him.  Are you trying to earn His favor through attendance, good works, or generosity?  Understand that Jesus wants relationship first. He wants your whole heart, to be your first love.  Have you slipped into the lie of earning His love or do you rest in His love and the knowledge of His character and as a result grow to look more like Him?

Our 40 days prayer and fasting is coming to a close.  Are you focused on the fact that you haven't eaten a food?  Are you focused on whatever thing you might have given up? Are you proud of what you have done?  Watch out!!  You may have 1 and 2 reversed above.  Or, have you grown these past days in your knowledge and understanding of who Jesus is and the necessary sustaining power that He is for our very life.  If you have incorrectly switched the priorities above take the last few days of our fast to finish strong.

It's all about Jesus and never about us!

Blessings,

Patrick

Identify Your Idols

Identify your Idols

I love the story of King Josiah in 2 Kings.  A young king at age 26 decides to reform his country and in the process uncovers God's Word which had been long forgotten.  Immediately they gathered all the people and read the scripture as a nation (wow!) and King Josiah stands along with his nation to make this covenant in 2 Kings 23:3 "And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant."  

As a result of this covenant Josiah re-institutes the Passover and immediately destroys all the idols his people and his forefathers had established.    

2 Kings 23:24-25 Moreover, Josiah put away the mediums and the necromancers and the household gods and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might establish the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.  Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.

Recently I came across 11 diagnostic questions that David Powlison asks in his book Seeing with New Eyes to help people identify idols in their lives.  Take a moment to seriously consider these questions.  As you do, be honest with yourself.  Our hearts have done a great job of sneaking these idols past our brains and have allowed them to set up shop in our lives.  Like Josiah and the people of Judah, we must quickly remove these idols from our lives and resolve to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all our heart and all our soul, to be obedient all things He has revealed in Scripture.

Here are the questions:

1.  What do I worry about most?
2.  What, if I failed or lost it, would cause me to feel that I did not even want to live?
3.  What do I use to comfort myself when things go bad or get difficult?
4.  What do I do to cope? What are my release valves? What do I do to feel better?
5.  What preoccupies me? What do I daydream about?
6.  What makes me feel the most self-worth? Of what am I the proudest? For what do I want to be known?
7.  What do I lead with in conversations?
8.  Early on what do I want to make sure that people know about me?
9.  What prayer, unanswered, would make me seriously think about turning away from God?
10.  What do I really want and expect out of life? What would really make me happy?
11.  What is my hope for the future?

My prayer for you this week is that you would repent of your idols and reestablish Jesus as your First Love; that you would love Him with all your heart and all your soul and all your might.

Blessings,

Patrick

"Further Thoughts and Encouragement for the Curse of Worry-Wortitis"

As I ponder my own case of "Worry Wortitis," I am even more convicted of how crippling I can allow it to become to myself and God.  Of course, God can move and do any and all He wishes regardless of what I think or desire, but...ruminating continuously on the unknown, or what "may/may not be," can hinder me from seeing the subtle ways can is moving and working in these situations that I am allowing to become my god. 

This Sunday, we are singing 2 hymns that you all know so well...first, "How Deep the Father's Love for Us," followed by "Our God."  Both of these hymns have become almost creedal to me as I sing them in both my personal worship as well as our corporate gatherings.  How powerful to first declare that we can boast in the shed blood of our Risen Savior, Jesus Christ, and approach the Throne of Christ boldly through His redemptive sacrifice for the atonement of our sin; and then, to exclaim how great of power our God is by simply stating repetitively:

"Our God is greater, Our God is stronger, God You are higher than any other

Our God is Healer, Awesome in power, Our God

We do serve a great God!!!  My favorite part of this great hymn, however, is the middle section in which we embrace the monumental words from the Apostle Paul in Romans ch. 8...

"And if our God is for us, then what could ever stop us,

And if our God is with us, then what could stand against"

Take some time this weekend to prepare to meet with God this Sunday.  As you are praying and meditating over the weekend, consider the words of Paul...read Romans ch. 8, and consider the following points in your prayers:

• Thank God for the work He is doing in you and us throughout this 40 days
• Pray for God to bless us with rain, and then, thank Him for the rain He will be sending us!
• Pray for our Staff as we are discerning God's will in leading His church here in Goldthwaite
• Pray for our service Sunday morning, that God will move in a mighty way

Pray for God to do something great, then expect great things from Him!!!

May the Word of Christ dwell in you richly...

Corey



"Praise Him! Praise Him!"

"Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!

Sing, O earth, His wonderful love proclaim!

Hail Him! Hail Him! Highest archangels in glory, 

Strength and honor give to His holy name!

Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children;

In His arms He carries them all day long.  

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Tell of His excellent greatness! 

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Ever in joyful song!!! 

The first stanza to Hymn 106 in our Hymnal, "Praise Him!  Praise Him!" and a paraphrase of Psalm 146:2.  The collection of Psalms in our canon ends very appropriately with a string of 7 Hymns of Praise.  What a great example of our worship!!!  If you were to read through the Psalms, you would find many more like this one, but you would also find a great number of Psalms of Lament, where the Psalmist is in deep despair in some cases.  For instance, just a few Psalms earlier in the collection (Ps. 137) than the one paraphrased above, the Psalmist is lamenting the Babylonian captivity in which the children of Israel have been stripped from their homes and robbed of all freedom.  The Psalmist states very forcefully at the end:

"...happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us--he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks."

Strong words!  But, if you read further in the book, just a few Psalms later, we find this string of Psalms of Praise that end it.  How appropriate to say, "even though some things in my life just aren't exactly going the way I planned it....I can still praise Your Name for all the blessings I have."

Throughout these 40 days, what is God doing in your life?  We would love to hear about it.  We will be singing this great hymn, "Praise Him! Praise Him!" this Sunday!  As you continue to pray for our church and staff, seek the Lord.  Ask Him to reveal to you what He is doing if He hasn't already.  Trust me....He is working.  The tragedy is, that we are often blinded to it, and don't realize that He's done anything at all 'till much later.  Then, take one of our response sheets from the pew in front of you on Sunday and let us know what God is doing in  your life.  We would love to hear from you!  Or, if you prefer, you can share it in the "Comment" section at the bottom of the page. 

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Tell of His excellent greatness! 

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Ever in joyful song!!! 



"Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"

What a wonderful hymn from the Evangelical Movement!  This timeless hymn is just one of the 6500 hymns contributed by Charles Wesley.  As I ponder the thoughts and comments from Bro. Doug this past Sunday centered around us seeking the Kingdom of God, I get stuck on the last stanza of this prolific hymn. 

"Finish then, Thy new creation; Pure and spotless let us be;

Let us see Thy great salvation  Perfectly restored in Thee:

Changed from glory into glory, Till in heav'n we take our place,

Till we cast our crowns before Thee, Lost in wonder, love and praise."

Read it again...this time read it slowly and really soak it in!

That is seeking the Kingdom of God!  That is saying, "God, make my life, and make my heart Your "new creation."    What a marvelous picture!!! 

We will be opening our service with this hymn Sunday morning.  Take some time the rest of the week and really meditate on the words of this great hymn.  Then, as you are praying, seek His Kingdom and His will until you are "Lost in wonder, love and praise."  

"May the Word of Christ dwell in you richly..."

Corey 



"The Curse of Worry-wortitis"

To be completely honest with myself and you guys, I must confess that I am a worrier.  I worry.  I worry about finances, work, health, my future, the future of my girls...ugh....you name it, I probably worry about it or have at one time.  It's probably one of my biggest struggles.  But, as I reread the passage from Sunday, Jesus tells us bluntly not to worry.  I even sense a hint of frustration in his tone with how much we choose to worry about things that simply do not matter.  As I contemplate and meditate on the words of our Savior here in Matthew ch. 6, I am painfully confronted with how consuming my own case of "worry-wortitis" can become.  When I worry about something, it consumes all thought.  For instance, we are in the process of buying a house, as many of you are familiar with, it's a huge decision!   Have I mentioned that I'm a worrier?  But, the reformer, Martin Luther put it this way:

"What your heart clings to and trusts in, that is really your god."

His contemporary, John Calvin stated:

"...just as waters boil up from a vast, full spring, so does an immense crown of gods flow forth from the human mind"

When we worry, we end up worshipping the object of our worry, and in essence ourselves.  To be even more to the point, when we worry, we are basically telling God that we think we can handle it better than He can, or that we know better. 

Let me encourage you to meditate on our Redeemer's words today:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink:  or about your body, what you will wear..."

"...Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."

"Those Pesky Bare Spots!"

I love lawn care!  I love mowing, edging, and watering.  I can go to the Lawn & Garden section of Home Depot and get lost in a transcendent world of pH balances, seed, sod, sprinklers, fertilizers, and water hoses.  I love even more the looks of a lawn that has just been thoroughly treated with a heavy dose of weed & feed or some other good fertilizer and then soaked through with water until the moist ground gives a bit under foot.  Then, I love being able to slip off my shoes, walk bare foot through the grass and feel the cool lush, green that is healthy grass between my toes without the fear of being surprised by the prick of a hidden grass burr, or the sting of a *you-know-what* fire ant!!!  I love lawn care.

However...

Each place I have lived and attempted to maintain a healthy lawn, there is always (at least) one bare spot that I simply cannot get grass to grow.  From the street, the lawn looks full and green, but upon closer inspection you find a series of patches at various locations that just will not grow grass.  No matter how much water, seed, or fertilizer....grass refuses to grow!  I was mowing our lawn over the weekend, and noticed several of these spots.  Of course, it's early in the season still, and grass is just beginning to come through, but I get so frustrated every time I run the mower of these areas and I'm faced with a blast of dirt and debris rather than the mower blowing out grass clippings.  I hate it!  As I was recovering from inhaling copious amounts of said dirt and debris I was reminded of the words from our Savior that we discussed in Worship yesterday:

"But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."  Matt. 6:33 (NIV)

GUYS, STAY WITH ME HERE, I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT IF YOU SEEK HIS KINGDOM HE WILL GIVE YOU A LUSH BEAUTIFUL LAWN!!! I KNOW IT SOUNDS GREAT, BUT I'M NOT SURE IT WORKS THAT WAY!!!

God revealed to me some parallels of our walk with Him and my lawn.  Those bare spots are frustrating, but not enough for me to completely dismiss the whole thing.  The lawn overall is healthy and growing, but those pesky bare spots just need a little more attention for them to flourish and thus allowing the lawn to develop into it's fullest potential.  We are the same way.  We have strengths, those things that come naturally and easy for us...but we also have weaknesses, or "bare spots."  There are areas in our lives that simply need a bit more work and attention for us to grow and flourish into all that God desires us to be.  Maybe it's patience, or empathy toward others, or maybe it's that you have too much of something like pride or arrogance.  Whatever it is that is your "pesky bare spot," Jesus tells us:

"But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."  Matt. 6:33 (NIV)

Seek God and His Kingdom first and foremost in your life, and these bare spots will fill in. 

May the Word of Christ dwell in you richly...

Corey