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Day 7, March 13The Foundation of FamilyImagine that your home is in a floodplain. A huge storm strikes thearea with record wind, rain, and flooding. When the storm is over andthe waters subside, what is the condition of your home?Jesus used that analogy to describe a wise and foolish builder(Matthew 7:24-27). One built on the rock, the other on sand. The homeon the rock stood, yet possibly with a few scrapes and in need of someminor repair. But the home built on sand was gone, completelydemolished. Families are like the houses we live in. So how is thefoundation of your family and how are you building on it?As goes the family, so goes the culture and its faith. Like Jesus’parable of the two builders, we need to prepare for storms. Jesus was arealist. Our way of life and our values will be attacked as followers ofJesus. The family is also under attack.While we hope it never happens, is your family prepared for the storm?How will your family handle a tragedy, disease of a family member, ordeath of a family member?The best solution is to build a great foundation from the ground up. Itstarts with spiritual leadership in the home, a single parent or a motherand father together, taking a stand and teaching their faith to the nextgeneration. It is a home where the words and the reading from theBible are common. It is a home where there is obvious trust in the Lordand prayer of Thanksgiving for everything received.When Joshua stood before the nation of Israel, he couldn’t speak forthe nation about their promised faithfulness to God, but he could speakfor the family he led. He said, “‘But as for me and my household, we willserve the Lord’” (Joshua 24:15).PRAYER:Lord, help us to build strong families. Whether we are a single memberin a family who supports and encourages others, or a large family withmany people, let us live by faith and let You reign in our hearts and ourhomes. We desire to build our lives on You and Your words. In thename of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Day 8, March 14Successful Parenting“These commandments that I give you today are to be on yourhearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sitat home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down andwhen you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind themon your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses andon your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they areold they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).Parents have been given an important job. The church has aresponsibility to support and encourage them. They are underconstant pressure to achieve success. Culture is pushing a differentagenda; is the church clearly articulating the alternative? The answercan determine the goals parents achieve at every stage of theirchildren’s lives. American parents face challenges determining how topass along their faith. They feel under equipped to share somethingthat they do not fully grasp themselves. Our challenge as a church isto move families from occasional attendance and marginalconnectedness to engagement. We cannot simply direct them to readDeuteronomy 6 or attend our weekly service and say we have done agood job of supporting them. The church must partner with theparents during each phase of their children’s lives and offer support,encouragement, and information to help them fulfill the goal ofProverbs 22:6. In a recent study, 72% of parents polled stated theybelieve that the church would be a helpful resource to help themdevelop a parenting plan. We, as the church, need to be faithful todefine the Biblical world view and help parents as they pour into theirchildren’s lives.PRAYER:Lord, please help us provide the grace and support that parents need.Strengthen the families in Your church, let us be a resource to theparents. Help us to support the single, divorced, and married parentsas we strive to help them impart a Biblical world view to their children.Let the parents of this community find a path to You for themselvesand their children. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Day 9, March 15Contentment Instead of Greed“People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and intomany foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin anddestruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Somepeople, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and piercedthemselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:9-10).It’s not that there’s anything wrong with money. Paul wrote from hisprison cell that he knew what it was like to have little and he knewwhat it was like to have plenty. But greed can destroy contentment.Most of us in this country are wealthy compared to the rest of theworld. We need to use our “wealth” wisely; to own it instead of itowning us.In Max Lucado’s book “When God Whispers Your Name,” he writes:“We are not satisfied. As a child we can say, ‘If only I were ateenager.’ As a teen we say, ‘If only I were an adult.’ As an adult, ‘Ifonly I were married.’ As a spouse, ‘If only I had kids.’ As a parent, ‘Ifonly my kids were grown.’ In an empty house, ‘If only the kids wouldvisit.’ As a retiree in the rocking chair with stiff joints and fading sight,‘If only I were a child again.’”Why is contentment so difficult? Because there is nothing on earththat can satisfy our deepest longings. We long to see God.PRAYER:Lord, help me to be content. Show me how to avoid the traps oftemptation. Thank You for revealing to me that the love of money is aroot of all kinds of evil. Teach me to be content with what You haveprovided. And remind me every day that all that I have comes fromYou. I will use what You have given me for Your glory. Amen.

Day 10, March 16Faith Instead of Fear“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame,and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).“‘So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am yourGod. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with myrighteous right hand’” (Isaiah 41:10).In today's world, fear is an emotion that we must deal with practicallyevery day. People are fearful and scared by all of the conflict andviolence that is reported daily in the news. It is important toremember that our faith can sustain us during these trying times. Thepsalmist declared his trust and faith in God. Psalm 56:3 states, “WhenI am afraid, I will trust in you” and Psalm 27:1 explains that “The Lordis my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?” As the words of anold hymn state, “This world is not my home, I'm just a-passingthrough.” By keeping our eyes upon Jesus, our fears will lessen andour faith will be increased. We cannot do this on our own. The HolySpirit will guide us. All we have to do is to put our complete trust inthe Lord as we seek His presence in prayer daily.PRAYER:Dear God, help us to trust in You as we continue our journey throughthis life. May our daily motto be, “Faith instead of Fear.” Strengthenus and teach us to depend on You more and more each day. Amen.

Day 11, March 17Peace When Grieving“‘Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you willrejoice, and no one will take away your joy.I have told you thesethings so that in me you will have peace’” (John 16:22; 33).Webster defines grief as “intense emotional suffering caused by loss.”Jesus spoke with His disciples prior to His crucifixion as they wereeven then beginning to grieve because of the words He was speakingto them. Indeed, they were not immune to the gamut of emotions wealso experience when we grieve. Our emotions can range from anger,to denial, to bargaining and eventually, through searching and prayer,we can begin to experience acceptance and peace. In these anxiousand confusing moments, Jesus assures us that our grief will not last,but will turn to joy when we are reunited with Him and those we haveloved. In this world, He has said that we will know trouble and timesof grief, but Jesus has overcome!PRAYER:Father, Thank You for Your promise You have given. Even in ourtimes of hurting and grief, we can know the peace that only You cangive. Help us to focus on the joy we will know when we see You faceto face. Let us continue to claim Your perfect peace as we keep ourminds on Thee. Amen.

Day 12, March 18Grace Instead of JudgmentGrace means we get something that we don’t deserve, unmeritedfavor; something we not only receive, but that we also share withthose we encounter.God is abundant in grace. His greatest act of grace is the gift ofsalvation that He made available for all people through faith.As a result of accepting His grace, He promises eternal life. It’s thepromise of a home one day in heaven with Him. His promise is sealedwith the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that one day Jesus the Christ willindeed return to earth to claim His purchased possession.Jesus purchased every sinner with His own blood on the cross atCalvary.“The bridge of grace will bear your weight, brother. Thousands of bigsinners have gone across that bridge, yea, tens of thousands havegone over it. Some have been the chief of sinners and some havecome at the very last of their days but the arch has never yieldedbeneath their weight. I will go with them trusting to the same support.It will bear me over as it has for them.” Charles Spurgeon“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace withGod through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have alsoobtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and werejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2).PRAYER:Lord Jesus Christ, may Your grace be evident in us.Father, may Your love shine from us.Holy Spirit, may Your presence be known in us,from now and evermore. Amen.

Day 13, March 19Financial Peace“Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, webrought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’ttake anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food andclothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall intotemptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires thatplunge them into ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:6-9, NLT).How can it be that in today’s America, there can be so much affluence,so many comforts and abundant resources, yet so much discontentwith what we have? There seems to be a constant disconnect betweenour desires and our needs. The average family is burdened byconsumer debt and installment payments on homes and autos. Often,the demands at work are greater, leaving less time with family.Marriages are stressed. And our God grieves for His children.The apostle Paul understood this well. Once a wealthy and popularman in Jewish power circles, he sacrificed everything to follow Jesusand pursue something much greater and longer lasting - godliness.Paul knew what it was like to have much and he knew what it was liketo have little. But he realized that a life of desiring God (godliness)leads to something peaceful - contentment. Paul found that lastingcontentment was the feeling that comes from finding satisfaction inChrist and trusting God to meet His daily needs.PRAYER:Dear God, there are people all around us who don’t know Jesus anddon’t experience the financial peace that comes through Him alone.Help us to be a church that models contentment and teaches that thedesire to love and trust God has far greater rewards than earthlywealth and more stuff. Give us ears and eyes to recognize the painaround us. In the name of Jesus, the One who offers real peace.Amen.

Day 14, March 20Hope for Tomorrow and Eternity"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. Inthis world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome theworld" (John 16:33).I was standing on a makeshift stage in the second largest slum in allof Africa. Staring into a sea of hungry, homeless faces, I thought, howcan I possibly witness to these people who have nothing when I haveso much? And then it hit me.“Being here today,” I began, “I realize that the country I come from isvery poor.” I went on to explain that we have so much in America thatwe no longer recognize our need for God. I talked about the truth thatconnects us all no matter where we live or what we have. This worldis only temporary. Whatever we suffer or gain here will wash away.We must fix our eyes on our hope for eternity, Jesus.The moment was bigger than me. God was moving. People cried asthey came forward and asked for prayer. Many accepted Christ thatvery day. Ironically, I had no idea I would be giving a testimony to acrowd on this trip. I thought I was going to provide a water supply.There are so many needs in this world, but none of them are asimportant as salvation. And nothing satisfies as greatly as the hopewe have in Christ. He conquered sin once and for all. Through Him,we have all we could ever need.PRAYER:Dear Jesus, You are our One true hope, our One true peace. Let usnot only cling to the hope we have in Your salvation, but give us thecourage to share that hope with the world. Amen.

Day 15, March 21Our Mission - Helping people follow Jesus“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you togive the reason for the one that you have. But do this with gentlenessand respect” (1 Peter 3:15).When you speak to a stranger for more than a few minutes you beginto understand their passions. It could be they speak excitedly abouttheir family, a sports team, a hobby, or their career. Some of thesepeople might display their passion in their clothes and jewelry they arewearing, or even an exposed tattoo.What would the stranger learn about you after a few minutes ofconversation? If we are following Jesus as the Lord of our lives, itshould eventually become obvious to the other person.Jesus died for everyone in the world yet the Bible says that noteveryone will be saved. It will only be those who follow Jesus on the“narrow path” that will make it to eternal life. If you are on that path, youare called to help people find the way to Jesus Christ. It doesn’t matterif they have never followed him, or if they have lost their way and leftthe path, we are to help them follow Christ more closely.At Living Creek, we pray that we will always be ready to “give thereason for the hope” that we have in Jesus Christ. Making it to eternallife in Heaven and taking as many people as possible with us shouldbe our greatest passion.PRAYER:God in Heaven, help us to be passionate about the hope of eternal lifewhich we only have in Jesus Christ. Help our faith to becomerespectfully obvious to those around us. Help our words to be invitingto others. And may we never be ashamed of the One who died to giveus life. Amen.

Day 16, March 22Our Values“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship,to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).Do you ever wonder what it was like to be a part of the first church inJerusalem. It was different than today. They had no buildings, nororderly church services. They met daily in homes. On the first day ofthe week they had a simple service including the Lord’s supper.Yet we relate to them today by seeking to represent Christ withcertain values. Acts 2:42 describes 4 specific values among otherstaught in the New Testament: Teaching (doctrine and truth),Fellowship (sharing in meals and needs of each other), Breaking ofbread (literally the breaking of “the” bread, the Lord’s supper), andPrayer.At Living Creek we have identified a list of 5 values which are verysimilar. These seem to be sincerely represented in our churchfellowship:Truth - teaching the Bible as our authority and foundationGrace - daily receiving and sharing God’s mercyPrayer - accessing the power of God’s Spirit for the churchWorship - seeking God with honesty and passionIntegrity - servant leaders accountable to God and the churchOur desire is that we don’t just aspire to attain these, but that it isobvious we are a church with a reputation for these values at worknow, while still in the process of improvement.How about you? If someone asked what you value, what would yousay? More importantly, what values would your life reveal throughyour actions to those who are watching?PRAYER:God and Father, You are holy and perfect. You sent Jesus to us to bean example of how You intended us to live. May the values wedisplay and live out everyday glorify You, and display consistency tothe world who is watching. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Day 17, March 23Our Target - Reaching families who are turning to the LordWhat is family in today’s world? We can’t think of it as only parents,children, aunts, uncles, and grandparents all in a tight groupsupporting each other. We need to look at things as they are in thereal world. There are single moms raising children, single dads ontheir own with kids, and grandparents raising the children of theirchildren. There is the young adult who has no one in their life exceptfor those people who are leading them down the wrong path. What dowe do as a church?In Acts 15, Peter stood up before the Elders of the church to speakabout how hard or difficult it should be for people who had lived adifferent kind of life to enter the Kingdom of God. The Jews wantedGentiles to obey the Old Testament law of Moses before they couldenter.Peter said, “‘We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus thatwe are saved, just as they are.’” “‘It is my judgment, therefore, that weshould not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God’”(Acts 15:11; 19).So as a church, let us remember that everyone is welcome in thehouse of the Lord. We need to remove barriers for those with differentbackgrounds; those who have a different definition of family. As theyturn to the Lord and His will for their lives, it will be by grace they aresaved, just like us.PRAYER:Lord, lead us to these families so we can show them love as Youwould, without putting undue burdens on them. Let Your love andgrace show, through us, what can happen in the lives of people if theytrust in You and not in this world. We ask this in the name of Jesus,Amen.

Day 18, March 24Our Niche - Living Creek is the simple church wheredifferences stop at the door.“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord JesusChrist, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and thatthere be no divisi

The gospel message proclaimed is the power of God that sets people free from the consequences of sin, Satan, self deception and the world. As a result, “having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness ” (Romans 6:18). Righteousness is what overcomes sin. If we are