"Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever" (Psalm 145:2, ESV).

​Let's cut straight to the point: David gives us the best heart that we should have in life. We praise Him no matter what we are going through. No matter what we face, we will praise Him. No matter what prayers are not being answered as we would like, we will praise Him. No matter what valley or mountaintop we walk through, we will praise Him. No matter how busy we are, we will praise Him! No matter what each day brings, WE WILL PRAISE HIM! 

Take some time now to bless Him and praise Him. Tell Him how manifold are His works. Share with Him that the heavens (and nature) declare His handiwork. Thank Him for the breath you are taking. Bless Him for the blessings in your life. Praise Him for loving you, and tell Him you'll love Him forever. 

-Pastor Tim Escamilla

"1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 THEREFORE WE WILL NOT FEAR though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea" (Psalm 46:1-2, ESV).

I love these two verses. We very often quote verse 1. We have it memorized, we have pictures of it in our houses, and we've even sung songs that declare its truth. It's a verse that can easily become a life verse. 

I hope that we would become just as familiar with verse 2 as we are with verse 1. It tells us that God being our refuge and strength and help in times of trouble is the reason WE WILL NOT FEAR no matter what happens! He is the foundation of our fearlessness! He shares His fearless nature with us when we surrender our nature to Him. When we trust Him with our situations and life, He trusts us with His fearlessness. 

Ever since our message on Fearlessness a couple of weeks ago, I have constantly reminded myself that I have nothing to fear. (If you missed the message, click the link above. It's also a good one to go back and revisit!) And in that, I want to remind you that YOU have nothing to fear. No matter what comes our way, in Christ, we are predisposed to fearlessness. It's in the new nature of the new creation we have become in Him!

So think of all the difficult decisions, the hurtful circumstances, the lonely situations, and heart-wrenching battles you have ahead of you and say to them, "I am not afraid of you!" Even if you don't think you have authority to say this to them, you DO. Why? Because God is your refuge and strength.

As you face tough times, remember, and be comforted by the fact that He is your refuge. He is your strength. His strength is made perfect in your weakness. And remember, you have His strength simply because you're with Him. So I pray He would make Himself known to you wherever you are, whatever you're doing, and whatever you're going through: He is with you. You are strong because of Him. And you have nothing to fear, because His perfect love casts out fear. 

May you experience His love and fearlessness in ABUNDANCE!

-Pastor Tim Escamilla