Daily with Debbie Coomer

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
1 John 1:8-10

Once we get saved we are not exempt from sin. It would be nice if that were the case, but it’s not. As long as we are on this earth, we will sin. We still need to repent and ask Gods forgiveness.

Admitting sin in our life can be difficult. We are trying to live the best way we know how, but we still have shortcomings, weaknesses, or temptations that we fall into.

Our quote for the day is: “Confession is agreeing with God about who we are - sinners - acknowledging specific sins before God as we recognize them, and humbly admitting our sins to others. But we are not confessing to separate from guilty feelings. We are confessing because God promises to forgive and cleanse those who do.”

God doesn’t want to have anything come between your relationship with Him. Unconfessed sin can do just that.

We should ask daily for forgiveness. Asking the Lord to forgive us for the sins we know we have committed but also to reveal to us anything we might not realize we have done.

My study says, “Confession is supposed to free us to enjoy fellowship with Christ. It should ease our consciences and lighten our cares. But some Christians do not understand how it works. They feel so guilty that they confess the same sins over and over, then they wonder if they might have forgotten something. Other Christians believe that God forgives them when they confess, but if they died with unconfessed sins, they would be forever lost. These Christians do not understand that God wants to forgive us. He allowed his beloved Son to die just so he could offer us pardon. When we come to Christ, he forgives all the sins we have committed or will ever commit. We don’t need to confess the sins of the past all over again, and we don’t need to fear that God will reject us if we don’t keep our slate perfectly clean. Of course we should continue to confess our sins, but not because failure to do so will make us lose our salvation. Our relationship with Christ is secure. Instead, we should confess so that we can enjoy maximum fellowship and joy with Him. True confession also involves a commitment not to continue in sin. We wouldn’t be genuinely confessing our sins to God if we planned to commit them again and just wanted temporary forgiveness. We should also pray for strength to defeat temptation the next time we face it.”

We shouldn’t confess our sins in fear. God isn’t going to scold us. He’s not going to reject us. But we do need to be sincere. Confessing our sins draws us closer to Him. He will help us by gently guide us. He will show us how to overcome. If we allow Him too.

Confession is not something to dread. It’s a way to humble yourself. It’s a way to be renewed in your walk with Christ. It’s a way to draw closer to the One who paid your debt.

Be blessed.

The 8th Annual GCC Golf is underway! We have amazing items to raffle on the day of the event, June 29th at Sugar Bay Golf Course. If you’re interested in purchasing any raffle tickets prior to the day of the event, please comment below and we will contact you or reach out to Cathy Hubbard at 859-466-6795

Raffle item #8

Bengals Bear

Value: $30

The 8th Annual GCC Golf is underway! We have amazing items to raffle on the day of the event, June 29th at Sugar Bay Golf Course. If you’re interested in purchasing any raffle tickets prior to the day of the event, please comment below and we will contact you or reach out to Cathy Hubbard at 859-466-6795

Raffle item #24

Perry Park Golf Resort
Four 18-Hole Green Fees with Carts
Value: $220

But the time is coming - indeed it’s here now - when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.
John 4:23-24

The woman at the well, a Samaritan, had asked Jesus about where to worship. The Jews insisted Jerusalem was the only place to worship while the Samaritans thought Mount Gerizim where their ancestors had worshipped was the only place. Jesus was telling her the time is coming that it will no longer matter where you worship, but how you worship. Your attitude of worship.

Quote for the day: “True worship is when we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, valuing Him above everything - placing Him first in our hearts.”

Worship doesn’t only take place when we are at church, but it takes place throughout our whole day. We can worship in our car, while we clean, when we mow the lawn or do laundry, when we go to the store, while on our jobs, when we raise our families, and when we are around others who may not feel the same way.

We need to “worship the Lord because of who He is, not because of what He can do for you.” When you embrace worship as an attitude you carry with you throughout the day, you are worshipping in spirit and in truth.

Lord, teach us to worship in spirit and in truth, reminding us we don’t need a church building in order to worship You. Help us to have an attitude of worship throughout our day, even when we don’t feel like it. Continue to speak to us and teach us Your ways and when we wander off, draw us back to You. In Jesus name!

Have a spirit and truth kind of day.

Be blessed.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
Romans 12:1

In the Old Testament, animals were sacrificed according to God’s law, but even then God said obedience was more important than sacrifice. Daily we are to give ourselves to Him - laying aside our own desires to follow His will. This is a form of worship.

The quote for today is: “Prayerlessness is an expression of our meager confidence in God’s ability to provide and of our strong confidence in our ability to take care of ourselves without God’s help.” Kevin DeYoung

The only way to be truly obedient to God is to talk to Him daily. How are we supposed to know what He wants us to do if we don’t ask? If we aren’t asking we are basically saying, “I got this”. I don’t know about you, but I do much better when I let God take care of things.

When my boys were growing up I would tell them, “Go clean your room.” When they were done I would go in there and ask them, “What did you do in here?” They felt they cleaned their room, but really they just moved things around. I had to get very specific with them - take everything off your dresser and dust it - put everything back where it goes - put your clean clothes away.

When you pray and ask God to use you throughout the day; to lead you and guide you, He will do just that. He will lay on your heart to do something for someone, to buy someone’s lunch, to send someone a card, to cook a meal, to clean someone’s house, to pray for someone.

My boys did a good job on their rooms when they listened to my instructions and guidance. When we listen to the Lord, we can accomplish much as well. We may never know the “why” behind His directions, but we shouldn’t have too. Part of our worship is obedience and that’s all we need to know. The rest is left up to Him.

Today, present yourself as a living sacrifice that God can use for His glory. You will be worshipping Him all day if you do that.

Be blessed.

Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
Zechariah 4:6

(Today starts our churches 21 days of prayer and fasting. So I will be following that guide for my devotions.)

In this scripture Zerubbabel was given the responsibility of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem, but the angel of the Lord was speaking to Zechariah.

My study says, “Many people believe that to survive in this world a person must be tough, strong, unbending, and harsh. God says, ‘Not by force, nor by strength, but by my Spirit’. The key words are ‘by my Spirit’. It is ONLY through God’s Spirit that anything of lasting value is accomplished. The returned exiles were indeed weak – harassed by their enemies, tired, discouraged, and poor. But actually they had God on their side! As you live for God, determine not to trust in your own strength or abilities. Instead, depending on God and work in the power of his Spirit!”

To learn to depend on His Spirit and make this verse come alive in our lives we need to pray! We need to have a personal relationship with our Savior! We need to communicate with Him daily. We don’t need fancy words. We don’t need to be a Bible scholar. We just need to open our mouths and talk to Him.

Our prayer guide has this quote:
“We wonder why God does not do important things through us like we see in the early days of church. But we do not ask Him for those important things like they did.”

When you pray are you constantly asking for something? Are you giving God your “list” of requests? And once you’re done, do just walk away and go about your day?

Zechariah sought the Lord. He prayed, he listened, and then he obeyed. He didn’t just make requests and walk away. He wanted to live by the Spirit. He knew his ways were not going to move mountains and get things done. He had to rely on the Spirit of God!

Today when you pray make an effort to do some listening. See what He’s trying to say to you instead of you doing all the talking. You will be surprised what can happen throughout your day when you are lead by the Spirit!

Be blessed.

So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. Your citizens along with all of God‘s holy people. You are members of God‘s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Jesus Christ himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19-22

Gods house is not the building where we have church. It’s us, the believers in Christ. Having a church building to worship in, to meet the needs of the community in, and to have gatherings in is wonderful, but without His people, it’s just another building.

If we claim to be Christians we have an obligation to represent Him well. We don’t conform to the world, but to God’s word. It may seem strange to those watching when we don’t throw a fit, argue, or cause a scene when we’ve been wronged. Or when we don’t hold grudges, we forgive easily, and we have faith that everything is going to workout. These are all reflections of the Spirit, His Spirit, living on the inside of us.

Someone shared with me a couple of weeks ago that she had something happen at work and she threw a fit. She stubbornly argued with those in authority. Her point was valid, but her approach was not the best. When she got home she was convicted about how she handled the situation. She apologized for how she acted to everyone involved in that meeting. She told them she did not represent Christ very well and for that she was sorry. She turned her situation around by letting them know in Whom she believed.

We can be right and still be wrong. If we disrespect people or get nasty to get our point across - being right doesn’t matter anymore. Now we’ve allowed our witness to be tainted. My friend apologized, but she also made sure she didn’t react that way again.

Also the foundation of the apostles and prophets is built on spiritual heritage, not modern ideas. The approach may change with the times, but the delivery is the same. Which in this day and hour seems to be harder and harder to do.

The world is trying to “tone down” the message. Don’t say sin or sinner. Don’t say blood. Don’t talk about conviction. Keep the message positive. And whatever you do don’t mention hell. How do you preach the Bible without these things?

We, the church, need to stand firm in our faith, representing Him to the best of our ability. At times that could mean standing with the minority. It could mean keeping our cool when all hell is breaking loose. It could mean going against what the world is saying. It could mean apologizing when you may have been right, but were wrong.

In the end, the believers foundation will be what remains. Al the rest is just sinking sand.

Be blessed.

For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
Ephesians 2:14-16

Before Christ, Jews and Gentiles did not get along. They didn’t associate with each other; they weren’t friends; they pretty much had nothing to do with each other. But when Jesus came, He came to reconcile ALL people to His Father. This took some getting use to on both sides.

My study says, “There are many barriers that can divide us from other Christians: age, appearance, intelligence, political persuasion, economic status, race, theological perspective. One of the best ways to stifle Christ love is to be friendly with only those people that we are like. Fortunately, Christ has knocked down the barriers and has unified all believers in one family. His cross should be the focus of our unity. The Holy Spirit helps us look beyond the barriers to the unity we are called to enjoy.”

Christ death took the place of Jewish law which is what divided Jews and Gentiles. It took some time for the Jews to get out of the “Jewish Law” mindset and it took Gentiles some time to accept Jews since they were treated poorly by them for centuries.

When we get saved it can take us awhile to unlearn those things that were taught our whole life. It’s indoctrinated in us and part of who we are - until we allow the Holy Spirit to take over. Then we realize it’s not biblical.

I have read many things on Facebook, for example, that maybe “good” quotes or sayings, but there wasn’t scripture to back them up. That’s where we have to be careful our human nature doesn’t get the best of us and we post from our feelings instead of truth.

Paul wanted the Jews and Gentiles to get past their indoctrinated rituals and realize they were ALL apart of Gods family. Jesus came for every one of them - not a selected few, but ALL! That should make us shout - most of us come from the Gentiles lineage.

The next time you are getting ready to post something, compare it to scripture. Is it biblical? Is it something Jesus would say?

The next time you feel someone isn’t your type or they don’t jive with you, remember, if they know Christ they are family. How would Christ treat family? Would He ignore or avoid them?

It’s not always easy to relearn something or to get past our human ideologies we’ve had our whole lives. But once the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our heart we should listen to His leading, not our own.

Let’s not stifle the love of Christ. If there’s one thing this world needs more of it’s the love of Christ.

Be blessed.

LifeGroup24: Honoring God | Healthy Habits That Please Him

Week 5 is Wednesday night 7pm@ Carolyn Dossett’s. This weeks topic is "PRAYING: Cultivating a Deep Connection with God for Well-Being.”

Excerpt: Prayer cultivates resilience, peacefulness, and spiritual growth. Praying for others increases compassion and encourages selflessness—attributes that align closely with scriptures like Galatians 6:2 to “carry each other’s burdens.” By placing prayer within our daily routines, not only do we enhance our personal connection with God but also promote greater empathy towards those around us. PS

You are invited to GCC’s Woman’s Brunch on Saturday June 8th at Carolyn Dossett’s house. It starts at 10:00 am. Our very own Kaylea Ulrich will be speaking. Bring a friend! Can’t wait to see everyone and hear what the Lord has laid on Kaylea’s heart to share.

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
Ephesians 2:1-5

Paul tells his readers that the devil is the commander of the powers in the unseen world. We all have fallen for the enemies lies before, and even after, we were saved. Jesus saved us from paying the penalty for what we had done - He took care of the debt we owed!

Though we are not to live in the past, remembering what He brought us through will keep us humble and grateful. It will also help us to not hold someone else’s past against them. When we know the power of His mercy, we can’t help but give it to others.

My study says, “We were dead in our sins, but God… We were rebels against him, but God… We were enslaved by the devil and our simple natures, but God… These may be the two most welcome words in all scripture: ‘but God’. God could have left us spiritually dead , in rebellion against him and in bo***ge to our sins. But he didn’t. He did not save us because of, but rather in spite of, what he saw in us. In addition to thanking him for what he has done for us, we should also show humble patience and tolerance for others who seem unworthy or undeserving of our love and compassion. They may be spiritually dull, rebellious, and even antagonistic towards God. So were we; but God loved us anyway. Can we do less for fellow sinners?”

You weren’t saved to be put on a pedestal and be considered better than anyone else. Nor were you saved to spend your life trying to figure out how to payback for all the sins you committed. You were saved because you believed in a risen Savior that took care of your sin debt and wiped it clean.

You were headed down a dark path, but God…. You were bound by the powers of sin, but God…. You were on your way to hell, but God…. You were unlovable, but God…. You had a debt you could not pay, but God…

By His grace, mercy, and love we are forever changed. Our destination has been rerouted. We are His and He is ours. Praise the Lord!

Now that’s the way to start your day.

Be blessed.

Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called – his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
Ephesians 1:15-18

Paul was praying for believers, the church, to know God better. He wanted them to receive insight, wisdom, and to have a personal relationship with their Savior.

My study says, “Paul prayed for the believers to know God better. How do you get to know someone? By reading biographical information or historical data about him? That will help you know a lot about that person, but it won’t enable you to actually know him. If you want to get to know someone, you have to spend time with that person, there is no shortcut. The same holds true with God. Reading the Bible, great works of theology, and devotional material is wonderful, but there is no substitute for knowing God personally. What about you? Do you really know God, or do you just know about him? The difference is in spending time with him. Study Jesus in the gospels to see what he was like on earth 2000 years ago, and get to know him in prayer now. Personal knowledge of Christ will change your life.”

You can’t ride on the coattails of someone else’s relationship with Christ - you have to have your own. Your pastor can give you insight to His word, a good devotional can be revealing, a spiritual book can give direction, but it’s going to have to come from you! Spending time in prayer. Listening to His guidance. Having faith in His love for you.

So today take a hard look at your personal relationship with Christ. Do you know of Him or do you really know Him? Do you take everyone else’s word about who He is or do you know who He is? No one can have a relationship with your Savior quite like you can!

Be blessed.

God‘s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
Ephesians 1:12-14

Paul wrote Ephesians to all believers to teach them about how to nurture and maintain unity in the church. So this was not meant for just one certain group or was not about any underlying issues. Paul reiterated that salvation was a gift for all and as believers we were His children.

In these particular verses, Paul is letting them know the Holy Spirit is dwelling on the inside of every believer and it’s Gods promise to us.

My study says, “The Holy Spirit is God‘s guarantee that we belong to him and that he will do what he has promised. The Holy Spirit is like a down payment, a deposit, a validating signature on the contract. The presence of the Holy Spirit in us demonstrates the genuineness of our faith, proves that we are God’s children, and secures eternal life for us. His power works in us to transform us now, and what we experience now is a taste of the total change we will experience in eternity.”

We tend to go on with our daily lives forgetting Who dwells within us. Sometimes we even dismiss His nudges. The Holy Spirit speaks to us throughout the day placing us in the will of the Father, if we pay attention.

We were in Nashville for a few days and the other night we went to this restaurant. We overheard our waitress talking with people at another table about things going on in her life - her car broke down, her husband passed away, she doesn’t have any family close by. So, when she brought our check my husband asked if we could pray with her, so we did. In this restaurant in Nashville Tennessee the Holy Spirit nudged this small town Pastor from Warsaw Kentucky to pray for this waitress from Pennsylvania. What a nurturing God we serve.

The Holy Spirit is very real and very much alive in every believer. He’s that still small voice that we ignore at times. He’s that tugging on our heart that we can dismiss. He’s that thing that can stir us to pray for a stranger or give money to a homeless person that we think is crazy. But if we just take a second and realize Who is doing the tugging, Who is doing the nudging, Who is trying to speak, we could change the world. One day at a time, one person at a time.

Praise the Lord.

Be blessed.

And even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples. As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. It doesn’t matter if we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.
Galatians 6:13-15

Paul usually had someone writing his letters for him, but this section he wrote himself. He wanted to be clear how he felt about this advice he was giving.

Some were still emphasizing circumcision as proof of holiness. Paul was basically saying, “You maybe circumcised, but what about these other 600 + laws?”

In today’s world it would be like you tolerating a man and a woman living like a married couple, but not a same s*x couple. Both are not following the Bible, but in your eyes, one is worse than the other. Paul says we need to be transformed into a new creation - “May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.”

Listen, you don’t need to go around to everyone you know and point out their “sins” to them. But you should treat everyone with love and kindness even if they are living a way you don’t agree with. I have too much in my own backyard to clean up to go pointing fingers at someone else.

My study says, “It is easy to get caught up with the externals. Beware of those who emphasize actions that we should or should not do, with no concern for the inward condition of the heart. Living a good life without an inward change leads to a shallow or empty spiritual walk. What matters to God is that we be completely changed from the inside out.”

Changing on the inside is a lot more work than changing the outside. Paul was saying anybody can get circumcised, but what does that prove? How do they treat the poor, the widow, their friends and family? What does your heart look like?

In this life we will never be perfect. We will make bad decisions, we will get angry and say the wrong thing, we will judge people - but the difference is we will know when we’ve done wrong or felt a way that is inappropriate. The Spirit on the inside of us will be stirring, shaking His finger at us saying, “No, no, no!” (This is what we do with Addison, my granddaughter, when she’s doing something she shouldn’t). We can either listen to the Holy Spirit or do things our way. I’m going to tell you right now, if you do it your way, you will make a mess of things. I know from experience.

Examine your heart today. Are you being transformed into a new creation? Is your spiritual life more important to you than what this world has to offer? Do you work on the inside more than the outside? Something to think about, wouldn’t you say!

Be blessed.

What are you building on? Foundation matters. Christ-centered, Spirit-led, and Biblically-grounded = GCC.

We are looking to raise $750,000 to complete this initial phase of property development. We are committed to completing the work one day at a time!

Follow this link to partner with us:

https://www.gallatincommunitychurch.com/donate

Don’t be misled - you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone - especially to those in the family of faith.
Galatians 6:7-10

We have such an awesome opportunity to serve Christ well by being good to others. If we see a need, we are to meet that need. If we see someone is down, we are to encouraging them. If we see they are straying away, we are to reach out. The Bible tells us to be gentle and humble, to share each other’s burdens, but not to feel more important than others.

When you do good to others, God will bless that. You may not get patted on the back here in this life, but you will receive a harvest.

My study says, “It is discouraging to continue to do right and receive no word of thanks or see no tangible results. But Paul challenged the Galatians, and he challenges us to keep on doing good and to trust God for the results. In due time, we will reap a harvest of blessing.”

If you’ve ever pastored a church, lead a ministry, taught a Sunday school class, or been in any kind of leadership role - you know it can be a thankless job. To be honest if you are being Christlike, more than likely, you aren’t getting much praise. This is where you need to trust God for the results.

In Bible Study the other night someone spoke up and talked about his grandpa. He said they would work the farm, but he prayed about everything - before they planted, before they harvested, before they ate, about the weather, when someone helped them - no matter what came their way the man prayed. I can only imagine at some point he may have wondered if praying was worth it. Now he has received his reward and his family still talks about it. He’s still reaping the harvest of his commitment to the Lord. How awesome is that?

We as believers need to continue the race. At this point, we don’t have time to worry about pats on the back and recognition. Our reward isn’t here anyway. We need to be His hands and feet, His mouthpiece, His servants - doing His business. Let’s stay the course.

Be blessed.

Looking forward to starting the sermon series, A Call to Prayer. Join us Sunday June 9th@9am.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Galatians 5:22-23

This section of scripture talks about living by the Spirit’s power, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide your life, nailing your sinful nature to the cross. The only way to live like that is to get to know your Savior and the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you spend time with Jesus each day reading your Bible and in prayer, you will realize the power of the Spirit on the inside of you. Does that mean you will never sin? No it doesn’t. But what it does mean is you will realize your errors and repent. You will want to make it right.

The list of sinful natures in verses 19 and 20 are: s*xual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties. (It also adds “and other sins like these” just in case your sin wasn’t listed.). That’s quite the list. At first you maybe thinking, “I got this!”, then all the sudden there it is. The thing you struggle with or are going through right now.

Listen, God knows we are human and are going to struggle. He even knows we are going to mess up miserably at times. But what we tend to forget is the power that lives on the inside of us. The Holy Spirit is bigger than our shortcomings, our failures, our downfalls, our sinful nature.

The next time you want to tell someone what you think, or start an argument, or having feelings of jealousy, or get angry - talk to the Holy Spirit first. Ask - Is this how You want me to act? Is this what You would have me to say? Is this my sinful or my spiritual nature rising up? By that time, maybe you’ll allow the Spirit’s power to take over.

Be blessed.