Posts by Matthew Shorack

Letting Go Of Hypocrisy Through Confession Matthew 7:5 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. Having a Godly perspective on others and ourselves is very difficult to see if our vision is blurred by a plank in our own eye. We tend to see confession from a purely negative point of view. It’s connected so closely with us having to…

Stand Your PostHow have you grown spiritually through the detours in your life? There are times in life where we can feel like walking away from all our challenges. When the post that God called us to seems too costly to continue. Our Christian journey can hit major detours and delays so how can we prepare for all the difficulties and dead ends along the way? Don’t stand down in troubled times? Philippians 3:12-14 12 Not that I have already…

What Is Abundant Life?In what areas of life do you find yourself trying to control your future, your experiences, and the people around you? John 10:10b I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. A more abundant life doesn’t mean getting what we want, when and how we want it. It doesn’t mean a great job or great health, so we shouldn’t expect to be able to place an order and get…

Your Valuables Do Not Define Your Value The need to be constantly entertained has become a false God that is worshiped in the West. As a result, the newest and best toys for grownups are becoming a must have in our fast-food culture. Most people are living beyond their means, in a hopeless effort to find meaning in possessions. They have become possessed by their possessions. Luke 12:15  Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all…

When Your Faith Is ShakenWhen we hit the wall of crisis in our lives, there are two ways forward. Crisis can build up or it can shake our faith. When King David experience great suffering and the death of a child, he wrote about it in Psalm. Psalm 27:13-14 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait…

God Is Not In A Hurry For A Reason Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn…

Selfishness Vs SelflessnessSelfishness devastates relationships. It causes conflict, arguments, divorce, and war. Selflessness strengthens our connection with others and God. James 4:1-3 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not…

Having A Hope That Does Not Disappoint1 Peter 1:6-7So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus…

Romans 12:9-14,21 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse… 21 Do not…

An Attitude of Gratitude It’s that time of year again to get ready for a truly great meal. The turkeys are being thawed out all over the land. The stuffing and mashed potatoes are being peeled, prepared, and prepped. Families will be gathering to enjoy a thanksgiving feast. We are truly blessed to have so many things to be thankful for. So why are so many families going to spend time this thanksgiving arguing with each other about things instead…

Worship Or Worry? Philippians 4:4-7 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. The world has gone through a great plague in…

Where in your life are you living in bondage to regret and disappointment? We all have regrets in life. Times where we chose to go through certain doors that led to disappointment and hurt our future and the people closest to us. The doors that we choose to go through will greatly impact the life we live. Some of those doorways lead to great blessings and others lead to bondage of the soul. How can we possibly know which doors…

When we moved back to the Northwest after serving six years as missionaries in Uganda, I was amazed at how busy and lonely everyone was. We had gone back in time, living in a developing country where community was necessary for life to continue. Every person I passed on the path in the jungle would stop and we would talk for at least five minutes. It would be extremely rude to do anything different. When we came back home, I…

Staying In Step With The Holy Spirit When I was a senior in high school, I was meeting regularly with my guidance counselor. I Talked through the next steps I would take to achieve my goals. The Holy Spirt is our Guidance Counselor, and He is very active in communicating with Hs people. It’s time to connect with your guidance counselor for the right path that He has prepared for you.   2 Timothy 3:16-17  All Scripture is inspired by…

What stops you from asking God to forgive you? Ecclesiastes 7:20 Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins”. God ready and willing right now, to give you another chance. That’s a foundational truth of Christianity. We’ve all been foolish and messed up.How has guilt affected you mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Some of us know what it is like to live…