The Holy Spirit inspired James, the pastor of the church in Jerusalem, to equip the body of Christ to pass various tests in life. He had in mind practical, real-life trials such as persecution, patience, prudence, poverty/prosperity, pleasure, partiality and even profanity (or how we use our words).

By the time the author enters the 4th chapter, he is addressing advance planning tests. Since we are currently in the season of final exams for our students with many approaching their high school graduation, most of these are finalizing their plans for what comes next. Is ok to make plans for the future? If so, is there a certain way the Lord would want us to make our plans? Hmmm. Let’s ask James what he learned from Jesus.

James 4:13-17 is a good word regarding making plans for the future. These truths are timeless and can not only serve as a guide to students in their steps but will also lead those in business in drawing up their goals and marking their calendars. We will learn seven principles of planning that will help each of us chart our course in alignment with the will of our great Designer.

1. Imperative of God’s Will, v. 13

2. Indifference to God’s Will, v. 13

3. Invisibility of God’s Will, v. 14

4. Inevitability of God’s Will, v. 14

5. Instruction regarding God’s Will, v. 15

6. Iniquity over God’s Will, v. 16

7. Ignoring God’s Will, v. 17

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Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

Depending on Our Designer (James 4:13-17)

When I read Psalm 95 a couple of mornings ago, I immediately found myself quietly humming and somewhat silently singing one of my favorite hymns, Worthy of Worship. Compared to some hymns, this is a modern hymn, written in 1988.

Dr. Terry W. York of Truett Seminary in Waco, Texas wrote the inspiring lyrics to the hymn, while Mark Blankenship gave us the beautiful music. In the hymn, Dr. York tells us so much about God, listing 10 attributes and actions of the Lord. It is simply so refreshing!

I am afraid that we sometimes we make worship about ourselves, when really it should be about our God. Worship at its best directs all the attention to an Audience of One. After singing Worthy of Worship, one comes away knowing that the Lord is … Creator, Savior, Sustainer, Almighty Father, Master & Lord, King of Kings, Redeemer, Wonderful Counselor, Comforter and Friend.

Like Worthy of Worship, Psalm 95 recalibrates our hearts to focus life on the Lord not ourselves. It doesn’t even have a clear superscription informing us of its human author, although we are given a brief reference in Hebrews 4:7 that attributes this inspiring call to worship to David.

Let’s listen to this great psalm of praise. The first half of the psalm (95:1-7b) will explain how to practice true worship, while the last half of the psalm (95:7c-11) warns of the peril of false worship.

The Practice of True Worship:
• An invitation to worship, vs. 1-2, 6
• An incentive to worship, vs. 3-7

The Peril of False Worship:
• The admonition against false worship, vs. 7-9
• The condemnation of false worship, vs. 10-11

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Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

Worthy of Worship (Psalm 95)

Happy Mother’s Day!

During this message we are going to examine the life of a woman named Hannah who went from emotional agony over personal barrenness to victory over a precious baby. It will be amazing to watch Hannah go from emotional survival in life’s harsh circumstances to spiritual revival through life’s greatest comfort in the Lord.

I recall reading a harrowing account of a young couple in their 30’s who took their two children, 4-year old Penelope and 7-month old Sabine on a family vacation in the northwest. They took an old logging road called Bear Camp Road through the mountains of southwestern Oregon.

Through a series of unfortunate factors, the couple wrecked the car and became stranded in the wilderness as it began to rain and then snow. They ran the engine to keep the family warm until the car ran out of gas. They burned the tires after removing them from the car and ate berries just to survive. The husband became desperate and chose to try and walk out of the forest for help, but he strictly instructed his family to stay with the vehicle. After 9 days, the mother and her children were rescued, but unfortunately the father did not survive.

Hannah was experiencing a miserable life externally and internally, simply trying to survive the “wilderness” of dysfunction within her own home, but she made a series of good choices which changed everything for her internally, leading her to a personal revival. Let’s track her footsteps this Mother’s Day weekend!

Her Survival in the Wilderness of Life:
1. The Pain within a Wife without a Little One, 1:2, 5-6
2. The Precautions for a Woman in Lustful Surroundings, 1:3
3. The Provocations within a Family due to a Lashing Tongue, 1:6-7
4. The Problem of a Believer in Low Spirits, 1:7-8, 10, 15-16
5. The Presumptions at Church resulting in Lonely Isolation, 1:9-18

Her Revival in a Land of Promise:
1. The Privilege of a Wife with a Loving Husband, 1:1, 3, 5, 8, 19-23
2. The Prayer of a Woman with a Loaded Down Heart, 1:9-16
3. The Peace within a Believer with a Leaning Faith, 1:17-20
4. The Praise from a Mother with a Lord-Centered Focus, 1:20-2:10
5. The Pledge of a Mother with a Lending Commitment to God, 1:24-28; 2:11, 18-21

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Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

When Mom Moves from Just Survival to Revival (1 Samuel 1-2)

James, the half-brother of Jesus who eventually became the pastor of the church in Jerusalem, addresses in James 1:5-8 what may be the one thing you are missing in your trials – wisdom.

We often ask the Lord to remove the hardship, but what if that “ship” (even though it is difficult) is exactly the vessel that the Lord is bringing into your life to help you enter a new stage of spiritual growth and maturity?

A better approach is to ask the Lord for wisdom in your current circumstance. If you plan to implement this, then you may want to review HOW James says you need to ask for wisdom.

Awareness of the Need for Wisdom, 1:5

Ask for the Gift of Wisdom, 1:5

Assurance of an Answer of Wisdom, 1:5

Approach when Seeking Wisdom, 1:6

Analogy for Missing Out on Wisdom, 1:6

Assumption that Blocks Wisdom, 1:7

Ambiguity in Life without Wisdom, 1:8

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Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

What Am I Missing Here? (James 1:5-8)

The Apostle Paul wrote to his mentee, Timothy, these words in 2 Timothy 4:7 just a couple of months before he was martyred, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

The writer of Hebrews urged his readers in Hebrews 12:1-2 to finish the race strong by keeping their eyes on Jesus and laying aside any weights or besetting sins that were hindering their run.

At 120 years of age, Moses was nearing the end of his incredible and commendable life’s race in Numbers 20:1-13, but unfortunately, like some other biblical heroes of the faith such as Samson or Solomon, he stumbled on what could be perceived as his last lap around the track. Yikes.

As I read through our text in Numbers, some possible stumbling blocks grabbed my attention. Oh, Moses didn’t trip over all of these by any means, and yet, each of these could hinder a man or a woman from finishing their race with excellence. Watch out for the following hurdles as you make run the course the Lord has for you in life.

Stumbling Block # 1 – Crises, 20:1-2

Stumbling Block # 2 – Complaints, 20:2-6

Stumbling Block # 3 – Compromise, 20:7-9, 11

Stumbling Block # 4 – Condescension, 20:10

Stumbling Block # 5 – Conceit, 20:10

Stumbling Block # 6 – Cynicism, 20:12

Stumbling Block # 7 – Carnality, 20:12-13

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Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

Stumbling on the Last Lap (Numbers 20:1-13)

Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:15 that we should be prepared to give a defense to anyone who asks us a reason for the hope that they see within us. Of course, the Holy Spirit gave him these words when he was writing his epistle, but I am curious if perhaps he had one particular day in his life when he was asked about the hope within him.

Acts 2:22-24 is part of Peter’s response to the crowds in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost when he was asked, “What does this mean?” Acts 2:12. The crowds heard them speaking of the wonderful things of the Lord, and they could only think of four reasons why neither they nor Peter and the disciples should be speaking with confidence: they saw Jesus die on the cross, they heard Peter himself deny Jesus during the trials, they had shouted to Pilate their decision for the execution of Jesus and they knew from experience that no one has ever come back from the dead. They assumed that the Jesus movement was over.

Peter speaks out boldly and gives the skeptical yet curious crowd four reasons why hope still filled his heart.

The Authentication concerning Christ in the Gospel, 2:22 (a)

The Authentication of Christ by God, 2:22 (b)

The Atonement of Christ by Grace, 2:23

The Assurance in Christ beyond the Grave, 2:24

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Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

A Reason to Hope (Acts 2:22-24)

The theme of our upcoming Spring Bible Conference (each evening at 6:00pm March 23-25) is “Times of Refreshing” based upon a message given by Peter after a lame man was healed. The crowd began to look at the Apostle as though he performed the amazing miracle.

The seasoned fisherman turned disciple knew that the people were giving the credit to the wrong person. It was God’s power that had raised this man to his feet not Peter. The Lord deserved the glory.

Peter then gives the people of Jerusalem an uplifting message on how they too could personally experience “times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord”. In addition to Luke, the writer of Acts, Paul mentioned the concept of refreshing in three other locations within our English bibles. In Romans 15:32 Paul expresses his expectation of being refreshed when he arrived in Rome in their company. In the little book of Philemon, twice the Apostle Paul speaks of his Christian friend Philemon’s quality of refreshing the people that he was around.

In Acts 3:17-26 Peter preaches about refreshing and gives four essential truths about spiritual renewal. Let’s learn together these four principles taught by the one known in Christian circles as, the Big Fisherman.

1. Reservoir of Refreshing, v. 20

2. Requirements for Refreshing, vs. 17-19

3. Results of Refreshing, vs. 19-23

4. Rushing Out after a Refreshing, vs. 24-26

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Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

Times of Refreshing (Acts 3:17-26)

“The troubles of my heart are enlarged bring me out of my distresses.” -- Psalm 25:17

After hearing her mention that she would like to get back into shape, a friend recommended that Georgene Johnson consider running. So, without any preparation whatsoever, Georgene signed up for the Akron 10K (6.2 miles). Her comment after finishing the race was, “This was not what I signed up for!” Georgene came in 83rd in the women’s division with a time of 4 hours and 4 minutes. For contrast, my son-in-law, just ran in the Cowtown Marathon up in Fort Worth and finished with a time of 4 hours and 44 minutes. Of course, he didn’t run 6.2 miles like Georgene, he ran 26.2 miles.

David must have felt similar to Georgene when he was inspired to write Psalm 25. Of course, it was a delight to see each of his children born into his family. Each one was a blessing. However, later in life his son Absalom became more of a burden to his Dad’s heart than a blessing not just because of his resistance to his father’s authority but rather because of his desire to overthrow it. Yikes! He became way more than a prodigal son, Absalom became a dangerous son. You can read about this in 2 Samuel 16-19. These were dark days for this burdened father.

So, David sat down and composed an alphabetical psalm (one of nine in the Hebrew Hymnbook). He views life in Psalm 25 as a journey down a dark road, (vs. 4, 8, 9, 12). How did he survive the heaviness he felt for his son that he loved? Let’s listen in as he talks to God in prayer and thinks about God in meditation.

Identification of the Troubles that Enlarged His Heart, 25:2-3, 7, 11, 16-20

Exaggeration of the Troubles that Enlarged His Heart, 25:6-8, 10, 17

Delegation of the Troubles that Enlarged His Heart, 25:1-22

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Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

When the Troubles of Your Heart Are Enlarged (Psalm 25)

Sunday Message recorded 16 March 2025
by Senior Pastor Victor Morrison
First Baptist Church - Columbus, TX, USA
1700 Milam St.
Columbus, TX, USA 78934

How Firm a Foundation (Luke 6:46-49)

After the Lord miraculously delivered the people of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, they were slowly making their way through the wilderness toward the Promised Land. Unexpectedly, they encountered trouble along the way. They were attacked by the Amalekites, desert nomads dwelling in the northern Negev and descendants of Esau. This was their first fight, but it would not be their last.

As we review this ancient conflict and how they engaged with their enemy, we will learn truths that will prove beneficial for our contemporary encounters with a foe called the flesh, the old sin nature. In some ways, our fiercest battles in life are really struggles with the "old self” (Eph. 4:17-23; Col. 3:5-10). Christ can give us victory, but it will require faith in Him and a fight marked by effort, tenacity and vigilance on our part. Let’s see what we can learn from Exodus 17:8-16. Let's study their first fight with Amalek so that we will be ready for our next fight with the flesh.

Warning of an Attack, 17:8-9

Warriors within the Army, 17:9

Willingness to Go against the Adversary, 17:10

Without the Ally and the Alliance, 17:10-11

Weariness of the Arms, 17:12

Winning over Amalek (or the Weapon of Our Assault), 17:13

Writing of This Account, 17:14

Worship at the Altar, 17:15-16

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Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

First Fight (Exodus 17:8-16)

Weekly Biblical devotions that help us Grow in Grace. Real stories and absolute truths from Scripture that provide strength, hope and encouragement. Hosted by Victor Morrison, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Columbus, Texas, USA.

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