September 22, 2023
Good morning,
We are prone to stumble. Stumbling blocks are a natural part of life. And even sudden or unexpected life changes can cause you to stumble. Unfortunately, in the effort to understand how and why it has happened, it’s far too easy to get lost in those difficulties and start viewing them as failures. Some people struggle with mental health conditions like depression or anxiety simply because they refuse to let go of yesterday – and “Keep on Trucking,"
The first step to overcome stumbling blocks is to identify the source. And it can be challenging to control your response to things, especially when your emotions fuel your reaction. But when you recognize the things that cause you to stumble – pray for strength to change your adverse response into a positive one. Christians living in 21st-century America - instead of numbing yourself to difficult situations or withdrawing from the pain, think about how to learn from it.
We must pray for God to give us wise minds and spirits attuned to His will. We must pray for God to help us to move toward a thorough understanding of our struggle. We must pray, confessing our unwillingness to change our attitude. We must pray for our anger and resentment to decrease - and our attitude toward those who offend us to change – and for strength that endures the unendurable.
Praying for those who have hurt us demonstrates our obedience to God's Word and the opportunity for him to work in our hearts. The Apostle Paul in Romans 14:13 wrote: Let us not, therefore, judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
Thank you for your continued financial support for the ministry. Please continue to mail your checks to Payne Chapel A.M.E Church, 2701 Lee St, Houston, Texas 77026, or go to Payne Chapel AME Church – Houston, Texas - through Givelify.com.
Finally, I would like to leave you with this thought for meditation; “In the end, it all comes to choices to turn stumbling blocks into steppingstones.”- Amber Frey
Love, Joy, and Peace.
Pastor Kevin L. Bullock, Sr.