Pastor Corey Adney

01/05/2024

Today's is Galatians 3:14

"He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit."

"If you obey for a thousand years, you're no more accepted than when you first believed; your acceptance is based on Christ's righteousness and not yours."

01/05/2024

01/04/2024

Today's is Isaiah 40:28

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom."

"The best theology will not remove mystery from your life, so rest is found in trusting the One who rules, is all, and knows no mystery."

01/03/2024

Today's is Luke 12:15

"... Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."

"Think about this: if God has already granted you some place in eternity, then he has also granted you all the grace you need along the way, or you'd never get there."

01/02/2024

Today's is 2nd Corinthians 5:7

"For we live by faith, but by sight."

"We are all archeologists who dig into the mounds of our lives to try to make sense of the civilization that is our story."

01/01/2024

Today's is Psalm 115:15

"May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."

"This is precisely why the first four words of the Bible may be its most important words: 'In the beginning, God...'"

I read a lot. And something I see written quite often is that the more one studies the Scriptures, the more one will come to realize the faults in Christian theology and the more likely one is to then abandon the faith. I don't see that. I haven't experienced that. In my 20 years as a believer, I've studied more and read more as time has gone on. I believe this has brought me to a place of realistic understanding of my faith. At the heart, I believe we were created. Science has found ways to explain how we came to be what we are today, I won't necessarily deny that. However, science has yet to explain where all this matter came from, and, more substantially, what caused inorganic matter to come to life. God created...

12/31/2023

Today's is John 1:16

"Out of His fulness we have all received grace in place of grace already given."

"God's work in you is a process, not an event."

12/30/2023

Today's is Hebrews 6:19

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure..."

"Hope in created things never delivers what hope in the Creator can."

12/29/2023

Attention anyone who is connected to a nonprofit - or maybe you know someone who is - I am trying something new.

There are many great networking opportunities open to business owners and multi-level marketers and sales folks...but not so many great opportunities for those of us in the nonprofit sector.

I would like to change that. I have set up a new page on LinkedIn called The Greater Good: A Network for Nonprofits. The idea is simple. We can do more good for more people if we do it together.

If this applies to you, go to the LinkedIn page and follow the page. I will start posting about networking opportunities in January.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/thegreatergoodnetwork

12/29/2023

Today's is Colossians 3:15

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."

"You're not stuck. You're not encased in concrete. Your life is not a dead end. The possibility of change has not slipped through your fingers."

12/28/2023

Today's is Psalm 104

"Praise the LORD, my soul. LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. The LORD wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers,fn flames of fire his servants. He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth. He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts. The trees of the LORD are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the junipers. The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the hyrax. He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. Then people go out to their work, to their labor until evening. How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works— he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise the LORD, my soul. Praise the LORD."

"God created for us a world of amazing beauty where pleasures exist all around us."

12/28/2023

Today's is Ephesians 2:11-22

"Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands) - remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit."

"It is amazing enough that we are forgiven and accepted by God by grace and grace alone. There is nothing natural about this."

12/26/2023

Today's is Psalm 22

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the LORD,” they say, “let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouthfn is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they piercefn my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. But you, LORD, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear youfn I will fulfill my vows. The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.
All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!"

"His suffering is our salvation. His suffering is our hope."

12/25/2023

Today's is John 10:1-18

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.fn They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

"Remember that Jesus willingly endured constant rejection and life-ending injustice so that you and I would experience the unalterable, unshakable, undefeatable love of God forever."

12/24/2023

Today's is Isaiah 9:6-7

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this."

"Jesus willingly entered the darkness so that we could live in the light of his presence forever."

12/23/2023

Today's is 1st Peter 2:23-25

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,”fn but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."

"Jesus endured human injustice in the here and now so that we would be blessed with divine mercy for all eternity."

12/22/2023

Today's is John 12:27-36

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted upfn from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them."

"He came to be the temporarily separated Son so that we can be the eternally accepted children of God.

12/21/2023

Today's is Luke 9:57-62

"As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”'

"The King of kings and Lord of lords leaves the splendor of glory to come to a shattered earth to suffer and die for self-oriented rebels.

God gave up everything to come meet us where we are. In return, when we follow Him (though we may feel like we have to sacrifice something to do so), the reality is, we gain everything.

12/20/2023

Today's is Titus 2:11-14

"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."

"Part of the deceptive power of sin in my heart is its ability to look beautiful when it is actually terribly ugly."

We have a tendency of creating excuses and reasoning away our sins. We know in our hearts we are doing wrong, but we turn a blind eye to our own wrong-doing. One major way we do this is by focusing attention on someone(s) who we feel are sinning worse than we are. We need to stop displacing our guilt by villifying another. We all fall short. We all need grace. We can all be better at loving our neighbors as we love ourselves.

12/19/2023

Today's is Isaiah 48:10

"See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction."

"Your preparation won't last forever, but your destination will have no end."

If you're currently in a season of testing, a season of refining, a season of affliction - remember this. There is a time for everything, and this season will pass. The holidays can be especially tough for some while everyone else seems to be celebrating. You may scoff at the notion that this is the happiest time of the year - and that's OK. It will pass. Your time of rest will come.

12/18/2023

“A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

"Biblical faith never asks us to deny the harsh realities of life in this fallen world."

Remember, it's OK to not always be OK. We don't have to fake it. When life gets tough, find a community that can and will surround and support you. And seek comfort from the One who knows how and when the suffering ends.

12/17/2023

On December 18th, 2022 I began this "Bible In A Year" devotional series. Today, I finish that series. Thanks to those who followed along. Monday I will start a new devotional.

12/16/2023

12/11/2023

Let me know if you'd like to help!