When I was a young boy, my mother's two favorite sayings seemed to be, "Brush your teeth" and "Did you wash your hands?" No doubt she was trying to teach good hygiene and to keep me from getting unneeded sicknesses, but it's a good thing for her I was too young to find or understand this verse! Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?...You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' " Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' " Matthew 15:1-11 Oh, yea... I just remembered another of my mother's favorite sayings. I think it was "Watch your mouth!" Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

"During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission." Hebrews 5:7 When Jesus prayed it involved emotion, reverence for the Father, and obedience to His will. When we pray, He's our example. Our Heavenly Father wants to have a deeply personal relationship with each of us. He wants us to know Him intimately, and... He wants us to submit our lives to Him. For this reason, the Holy Spirit is here... waiting to help us pray. Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Throughout Scripture God demonstrates His hatred for our sin. Yet, through the way we live our lives we often show we can tolerate at least a little sin. We don't hate it. In fact, we often enjoy it. Unfortunately, sin always grows up and devastates the unrepentant sinner. Here's an ancient example of God's people disobeying "just a little" that is still causing wars and costing souls today! I wonder, how far will our sins ripple through time as they touch the lives of others? "The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, 'I brought you up out of Egypt and let you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, "I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars." Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.'" Judges 2:1-3 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Many people tell me they just don't know much about God. They've "believed" in Him, they'll admit... but frankly, they've never had any real encounter. It's God's fault in the minds of the spiritually blind. "Hey, He's God... if He wanted to show Himself He could easily do so!" they might cry. But the truth is that God did show Himself to us. Jesus was (and is) God, the perfect representation of our Heavenly Father. The Spirit of God (yea, the "Third Person" in that whole "Triune God" thing) now testifies to who God is. If we're honest, we have as much information about, and, as much of God as we choose to allow to seep into our hearts. Sure, it's all about growing in faith, but our hearts are the place where that either grows or is assassinated by our fleshly desires. God is like a flood that will trickle into every nook and cranny of our lives, but the odd thing about it is that He leaves us with the keys to the floodgates. That's what some call "choice"... and what each of us will eventually call either what allowed redemption to flood into our sinful existences, or the fateful decision that eternally forbids we ever enter His presence. Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; and their sight was restored." Matthew 9:29-30a  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

When you have a tough decision to make, where do you go first? Most people go to friends, or memories of advice from television shows or magazine articles. For the Christian, these are not viable options unless they are biblically supportable. We have the Word of God--The one truly tangible supernatural phenomenon we have at our hands today (inspired by God and penned by Holy men driven by His Spirit). Honestly, why would anyone who truly believes the Bible is God's Word go anywhere else? "...we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and YOU will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star [Jesus] rises in your hearts. ABOVE ALL, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:19-21 (Emphasis mine) If you believe this Scripture is true today, renew your desire and commitment to search and obey God's Word in every decision! After all, He's your Creator--the Author of your Soul! Doesn't your heavenly Father know best? Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Other men had paid to use her.... Jesus paid to save her from her sins! 36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume [worth a year's wages], 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is-that she is a sinner." 40Jesus answered him, "Si I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. 41"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said. 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Si "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." 48 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" 50 Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Luke 7:36-50 And while some might see themselves as unworthy, or unsaveable, believe it or not that's a good thing! The bad place to be is in the place of the one who thinks they don't need it! Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

For many people, Memorial Day is a great day for backyard barbecues, friends and family. Many also mourn and remember loved ones who've passed. This Memorial Day I spent some time remembering a few close friends and some family members, and also one brother in Christ who passed away just this year. And since I was at it, I remembered someone else. I remembered myself! I reminded myself that every thing I say and everything I do will one day be my a memorial to my family, to the Church, and to my Lord. I even penned my name and my date of birth under "Deaths" in a family Bible. I left the date I will pass blank for now. Unless the Lord returns soon, my family can fill it in later and hopefully remember I was a faithful Christian--that I did not live for myself, but for them and for my Lord. "And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2 Corinthians 5:15 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

As a sort of spiritual barometer, consider for a moment where your daily thoughts are centered. Are they centered on things of this earth, or on things of heaven? As a believer and follower of Jesus, you'll find the Holy Spirit will be changing your focus toward a more heavenly one. "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is not hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate