Flatwood Baptist Church Decatur, Texas

The Burning Bush Devotional August 7th
Close Enough to Hear His Voice
Scripture: John 10:27; Isaiah 30:21; Psalm 119:105

There is something comforting about knowing that God has never expected His children to walk through life without direction. One of the greatest promises Jesus ever gave His followers was found in a simple statement that is often overlooked because of its familiarity. In John 10:27 Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." Notice that He didn't say His sheep occasionally hear Him or only hear Him during life's biggest decisions. He said they know His voice because they have learned to live in a relationship with the Shepherd.

The Christian life has never been about trying to guess where God might be leading. It has always been about staying close enough to recognize His voice when He speaks. The greatest way to familiarize yourself with His voice is to read His Word. He will never speak in contradiction to anything that is in it, ...because God never contradicts His own character, and He will never speak contrary to His own Word. If what we believe we are hearing disagrees with Scripture, then it is not the voice of the Shepherd.

One of the greatest challenges facing believers today is not that God has become silent. It is that our lives have become so filled with noise that His voice is often drowned out by everything else demanding our attention. We live in a world filled with schedules, deadlines, responsibilities, social media, news, entertainment, and countless distractions that compete for our focus every single day. Before long, we can find ourselves making decisions based upon convenience, emotion, or public opinion instead of quietly seeking the direction of the One who promised to lead us.

The prophet Isaiah offered this wonderful promise in Isaiah 30:21 "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" I have always loved that picture because it reminds us that God is not standing far away hoping we eventually find the right path. He walks with His children, faithfully directing each step of those who are willing to listen.

That does not mean we will always understand His timing or fully comprehend His plan, but it does mean we can trust His direction even when the road ahead is not completely visible.
How do we learn to recognize the Shepherd's voice? The answer is much simpler than many people imagine. Relationships are built by spending time together. The more time we spend reading His Word, the more familiar His voice becomes. The more faithfully we pray, the more sensitive our hearts become to His leadership.

The more consistently we obey what He has already shown us, the easier it becomes to recognize where He is leading us next. The Psalmist understood this when he wrote in Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." God has never promised to illuminate the entire journey at once. He simply promises enough light to faithfully take the next step.
Perhaps today the Lord is not asking you to make some great decision or take some dramatic leap of faith. (Onto the water)

Perhaps He is simply inviting you to spend enough time with Him that His voice becomes more familiar than all the other voices competing for your attention. The closer we walk with the Shepherd, the less confusing the path becomes, because His sheep have always found peace in following the voice they know.

Serving Christ Together,
Pastor Doug

The Burning Bush Devotional August 6th
The Blessing Is Beyond the Boat
Matthew 14:32-33; Deuteronomy 28:1-2; 30; Luke 11:28;John 14:6; Rom.10:9

One of the most overlooked moments in Peter's experience on the water happened after he climbed back into the boat. Matthew tells us that when Jesus and Peter entered the boat, the wind immediately ceased, and the disciples responded by worshiping Christ, saying, Matthew 14:33 "Truly you are the Son of God."

The storm eventually ended, but only after obedience had run its course. Peter's faith had been tested, his weakness had been exposed, and his Savior had proven faithful. Looking back, I cannot help but wonder if Peter would have traded that experience simply to avoid getting wet. I don't believe he would have, because once you have experienced the faithfulness of God firsthand, you never look at obedience the same way again.

Throughout this week we have considered what it means to step out of the boat, to keep walking when faith becomes difficult, and to avoid becoming comfortable where Christ never intended us to remain. We have also seen the danger of allowing disobedience to become so familiar that it no longer troubles our conscience.

Yet there is another truth woven throughout this entire passage. Every step of obedience brings us to a place where we know God in ways we never could have while remaining in the boat. It is not that God loves obedient believers more than everyone else. Rather, obedient believers place themselves where they are able to experience what God has been doing all along.

The Lord reminded Israel of this principle in Deuteronomy 28:1-2, "If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands...all these blessings will come on you and accompany you." Moses continues that same thought in Deuteronomy 30, reminding Israel that one path leads to life while the other leads to death.

Thousands of years later, that same choice still stands before every one of us. From Genesis to Revelation, God has always placed before mankind the opportunity to choose obedience that leads to life or disobedience that ultimately leads to death. The greatest act of obedience any person will ever make begins with salvation itself. Paul reminds us in Romans 10:9 "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

That invitation is possible because Jesus Himself declared in John 14:6 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." The very first step of obedience is placing our faith in Christ, and every step that follows simply continues walking with the One who first called us to Himself. I wonder how many of us are praying for God to do something new while quietly ignoring the last thing He asked us to do.

We ask Him for greater faith, deeper peace, stronger families, healthier churches, and more opportunities to serve Him, all the while hoping He will somehow bypass the simple act of obedience already resting before us. We often ask God for another miracle while standing beside the very boat He has already called us to leave. The truth is that God is rarely waiting to speak again. More often than not, He is waiting for us to obey what He has already spoken.

Perhaps the blessing you have been praying for is waiting on the other side of your next step of obedience. You may never walk on water, but you will discover something just as wonderful. You will find that every time God says, "Come," He has already prepared everything you need to arrive where He has called you to be. The greatest blessings of the Christian life have never been found by those who merely admired Christ from the safety of the boat. They have always belonged to those who trusted Him enough to step out, keep walking, and leave the results in His hands.

Serving Christ Together,
Pastor Doug

The Burning Bush Devotional August 5th
Swimming in Disobedience
Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33; James 1:22; Hebrews 3:12-13

Most Christians understand what it means to be drowning in sin. We recognize the warning signs, we understand the consequences, and we know that sin, if left unchecked, will always separate us from the fellowship God desires for His children. There is, however, another danger that quietly finds its way into the life of a believer because it doesn't appear nearly as serious at first glance. Think about this for a moment. Some people are not drowning in sin; they are swimming in disobedience.

The problem is that most Christians never compute their lack of obedience in the Body of Christ as actually being disobedience, and they certainly don't classify it as sin. They still attend church, still pray from time to time, and still consider themselves faithful followers of Christ. Because of that, they convince themselves that everything must be fine. Yet if you swim long enough and deep enough in your disobedience, there will eventually come a day when you grow weary of fighting against the current of God's will, and what began as simple disobedience will ultimately lead you into the very sin you never imagined could overtake your life.

The account of Peter walking on the water gives us a remarkable picture of this truth. Jesus instructed the disciples to get into the boat and go to the other side of the lake while He remained behind to pray. This time He wasn't sitting in the boat with them as He had before. Instead, He came walking across the water to meet them exactly where He had told them to go. They had been given clear direction, but they were also being given an opportunity to trust the One who had sent them. Peter did something extraordinary when he stepped over the side of that boat, but I have often wondered what would have happened if he had simply stood there. What if he had climbed out, planted both feet on the water, and never taken another step toward Jesus? Matthew 14:29 "Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus."

He may not have sunk immediately, but neither would he have reached the Savior who had called him. The miracle was never simply getting out of the boat. The miracle continued because Peter kept walking toward Christ. That raises a question every one of us should answer honestly. How many believers have stepped out in faith at one point in their lives only to stop walking somewhere along the journey? They trusted Christ as Savior, followed Him in baptism, joined a church, accepted a place of service, and then gradually settled into simply going through the motions.

They didn't necessarily walk away from God, but they stopped moving toward Him. Before long the storms of life arrived, prayers seemed to go unanswered, joy slowly disappeared, and they found themselves asking the same question believers have asked for generations: "Why isn't God helping me?" Jesus answered that question when Peter began to sink. He asked, "Why did you doubt?" The issue was never that Jesus had abandoned Peter. The issue was that Peter had taken his eyes off the One who had called him.

That pattern has repeated itself throughout the history of God's people. The Israelites left Egypt by faith, yet an entire generation wandered in the wilderness because they refused to continue trusting and obeying God completely. They were delivered from bo***ge, but they never entered the fullness of the blessings God had prepared for them because they continually resisted His direction. Sadly, every generation since has been tempted to repeat the same mistake. We wonder why God's favor seems distant while ignoring the very steps of obedience He has already placed before us. Could it be that many of the blessings we continually ask God for are waiting just beyond the very act of obedience we have been unwilling to take?

My only question for you today, Church, is this: Are we next? Let us never become content merely standing where we once stepped out in faith. Instead, let us keep our eyes on Jesus, continue walking toward Him in obedience, and discover that His greatest blessings are often found by those who simply refuse to stop following where He leads.

Serving Christ Together,
Pastor Doug

The Burning Bush Devotional August 4th
Why Didn't the Other Eleven?
Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33; James 2:17; Hebrews 11:6

There is one question in the account of Peter walking on the water that has always fascinated me. We spend a great deal of time talking about Peter's courage, his faith, and even his failure, yet we seldom stop to ask why the other eleven disciples never left the boat. Every one of them heard Jesus tell Peter, "Come." Every one of them watched Peter climb over the side. Every one of them were part of the same storm, the same waves, and the same Savior standing before them. Yet only one disciple was willing to take the next step.

Think about this for a moment. Earlier that evening Jesus had already given them a command. He told them to "go to the other side." Those simple words carried with them an incredible promise because if Jesus said they were going to the other side, then success had already been spoken before the storm ever began. The waves didn't surprise the Lord, and neither did the fear of the disciples. He knew exactly where they were going because He had already told them where they would arrive. That raises another question. Had the disciples become so comfortable in their relationship with Christ that obedience no longer seemed urgent?

They had watched miracle after miracle unfold before their very eyes. They had seen the sick healed, the blind receive their sight, demons cast out, and thousands fed with a little boy's lunch. They had listened as Jesus taught the Law with an authority no one had ever seen before. Everywhere He went, impossible situations became opportunities for God to reveal His power. Deep inside, they probably knew Jesus would come through again because He always had. Yet knowing He would come through and being willing to obey Him are not always the same thing.

James reminds us that James 2:17 "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." Hebrews also tells us that Hebrews 11:6 "Without faith it is impossible to please God." Faith has never been measured by what we believe while sitting comfortably in the boat. Faith is revealed when belief produces obedience. The other disciples undoubtedly believed Jesus could do miracles. They simply weren't willing to work through the storm by following Him into the water. I sometimes wonder if we have become more like those eleven disciples than we care to admit. We read God's Word and we know His promises, while watching Him answer prayers throughout our lives.

We have seen Him provide when there seemed to be no way possible. We know He is faithful because He has proven Himself over and over again. Yet when He begins calling us into a place of greater obedience, we suddenly become experts at explaining why staying where we are seems wiser than stepping where He is leading. Why step into the stormy waters of ministry when I might fail? Why volunteer when someone else can do it? Why teach a class when I may not know all the answers? Why share my testimony if I might become nervous? Why step out of the boat when the pew feels so much safer?

The pew has become the modern-day boat. It is comfortable, familiar, and safe—but Jesus never called His disciples to spend their lives sitting in either one. The greatest tragedy wasn't that Peter briefly sank. The greatest tragedy would have been if all twelve disciples had remained seated in the boat, content to admire Jesus from a distance rather than experience the miracle of walking toward Him.

Perhaps today the Lord is asking you to step beyond what has become comfortable. The safest place you will ever be is not in the boat you have grown accustomed to. The safest place will always be wherever Jesus has called you to be. So let me leave you with one question to consider today. When will you step out of your comfort zone? The harvest is plentiful!

Serving Christ Together,
Pastor Doug

The Burning Bush Devotional August 3rd
One Step At A Time
Scripture: Matthew 14:29-31; Psalm 37:23-24

There is something encouraging about the way God usually works in our lives. He rarely reveals the entire journey before asking us to begin. More often than not, He simply asks us to trust Him with the very next step. Peter didn't know everything that was about to happen when Jesus called him out of the boat. He didn't know the wind would increase, he didn't know fear would creep into his heart, and he certainly didn't know he would experience one of the greatest miracles recorded in Scripture. All he knew was that Jesus had said one simple word, "Come." That one word was enough because when God speaks, obedience is always the proper response.

I wonder how many blessings we miss because we spend so much time asking God to show us the entire plan before we are willing to obey the first instruction. We want to know how everything will work out before we ever take the first step. Yet throughout Scripture, God has consistently worked in exactly the opposite way. Noah built an ark before the rain ever fell. Abraham left his homeland before he knew where he was going. Joshua stepped into the overflowing Jordan River before the waters rolled back. Peter stepped out of the boat before he knew what it felt like to stand on the water. In every case, obedience came before understanding.

The Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 37:23-24 that "The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.". Notice that God establishes our steps, not our entire journey all at once. He gives us enough light for today and enough grace for the next step of obedience. If He showed us everything at the beginning, there would be very little need for faith. Instead, He invites us to trust Him one step at a time, knowing that every step taken in obedience brings us closer to where He wants us to be. Many believers spend their lives waiting for some great opportunity to demonstrate extraordinary faith, while overlooking the ordinary acts of obedience God has already placed before them. Please notice what was said there: “Extraordinary faith not needless fear!” Jesus was right in front of him and He said “come.” The only fear there was any call for was needless and wasting Jesus’s time energy and effort. Why Jesus and not Peter’s you ask? Because it was Jesus who was going to have to drag him out of the water when he sank. It’s always God who has to bail us out when we fall into disobedience after we fall into needless fear when we fail to listen and take the wrong or too many steps when He says “come.”

Which step of obedience is God asking us for? Sometimes the next step is forgiving someone who hurt you. Sometimes it is serving in an area where God has been speaking to your heart. Sometimes it is sharing your faith with a neighbor, beginning a ministry, restoring a broken relationship, or simply spending more time in God's Word each day. Whatever that next step may be, delaying obedience because of needless fear never strengthens our faith. It only has Him dragging us out of the water to keep us from drowning and postpones the blessings God desires to place in our lives.

Perhaps today the Lord is asking you to take one more step toward Him. You may not know everything that lies ahead, and you may still have questions that have not yet been answered. That is perfectly alright because faith has never required complete understanding. It has only required a willing heart that says, "Lord, if You have spoken, I will obey." The Christian life has never been about running ahead of God or standing still in needless fear. It has always been about faithfully taking the next step He places before us, trusting that the One who called us is already waiting there.

Serving Christ Together,
Pastor Doug

The Burning Bush Devotional August 2nd
Stepping Out But Not Walking
Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33; Genesis 1:3

There are certain passages in Scripture that we have heard so many times we almost stop asking questions. One of those is the account of Peter walking on the water. We know the story well. Jesus came walking across the sea, Peter stepped out of the boat, walked toward the Lord, became distracted by the wind and waves, began to sink, and Jesus reached out His hand to save him. Yet every time I read this passage, my mind seems to ask another question. What if Peter had gotten out of the boat...and simply stood there?

That may sound like an unusual question, but think about it for a moment. Peter would have accomplished something no other disciple had done. He would have climbed over the side of the boat and found himself standing on the water. The miracle had already begun. Yet if he had never taken another step toward Jesus, he would have spent the rest of his life standing in the very place where faith had first called him. The miracle was never simply getting out of the boat. The miracle continued because Peter kept walking toward Christ.

I sometimes wonder if that isn't where many believers find themselves today. There was a time when they stepped out by faith. They trusted Christ as their Savior, followed Him in baptism, joined a church, accepted a place of service, or answered God's call in some area of their life. Those first steps required courage, and they were exciting because they knew God was doing something new. Somewhere along the way, however, the excitement gave way to routine.

Instead of continuing to grow, they became comfortable simply standing where they first stepped out in faith. The Miracle always starts when it is spoken… Genesis 1:3 “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” The best part is the fact that there have been miracles happening ever since that day. He speaks, His creation obeys Him and they continue to happen. The part that can never be left out of that equation is obedience. Without it, they are simply words waiting on a response. Yet if there is one thing you must understand about God, it is that His Word never returns void. When He speaks, His purpose is accomplished.

The question has never been whether God will keep His Word; the question has always been whether we will obey it. So, if you are thinking…What if God speaks a miracle and it doesn’t happen? It’s as simple as stepping out of the boat and just standing there; it’s you not Him, He won’t unless you’re ready. Pastor Doug’s opinion: That’s why it was Peter…Jesus knew no one else had the courage. Do you?

Matthew tells us that "Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus." (Matthew 14:29) Peter's focus was never supposed to be the water beneath his feet. His focus was the Savior standing in front of him. Every step he took was another expression of trust. Had he stopped walking, he may not have sunk immediately, but he never would have experienced the joy of drawing closer to the One who had called him.

The Christian life was never intended to be a single act of faith followed by a lifetime of standing still. Every day the Lord invites us to take another step toward Him. Sometimes that step requires obedience. Sometimes it requires forgiveness. Sometimes it requires serving when we'd rather rest, giving when we'd rather keep, or trusting when we'd rather understand.
Before you become too comfortable where you are today, ask yourself a simple question.

Am I still walking toward Jesus, or have I become satisfied simply remembering the day I stepped out of the boat? Faith is never measured by where we began. It is revealed by whether we are still following the One who called us. You have to move beyond the edge of the reach of the boat.

Serving Christ Together,
Pastor Doug

The Burning Bush Devotional August 1st
Don't Leave the Table Hungry
Scripture: Isaiah 55:1-3; Psalm 34:8; John 6:35;Isaiah 55:1

Isaiah 55:1 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost."

Throughout this week, we've been reminded of God's promises, His faithfulness, His strength, and His daily provision. We've seen that His silence never means His absence and that He faithfully provides fresh manna for those who seek Him. Yet all of those truths lead us to one final question... Are we actually coming to His table?

Think about this…A starving man cannot blame the table for remaining hungry if he refuses to sit down and eat. The finest meal in the world does no good if it is never tasted. In the same way, many Christians long for peace, wisdom, strength, and direction while leaving God's Word unopened and their prayer life neglected. They wonder why they feel empty, yet they walk past the very place where God has prepared everything their soul needs.

The invitation has never changed. Through Isaiah, God said, "Come." Jesus echoed that same invitation when He declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry." The Lord has never asked us to earn His grace; He simply asks us to come and receive it. How many times have we searched everywhere else for what only God can provide? We look for peace in circumstances, security in money, acceptance from people, and satisfaction in the things of this world. Yet every one of those wells eventually runs dry.

Only Christ satisfies the deepest hunger of the human heart. God has already prepared everything your soul needs. His mercy is waiting for those who need forgiveness. His wisdom is available for those searching for direction. His strength is promised to those who have grown weary, and His presence is nearer than we often realize.

We never have to wonder whether God has enough grace for another day because His table has never been empty. The problem has never been His willingness to provide; the problem is that we are often looking everywhere except where He told us to come.

How many times have we filled our schedules, chased our dreams, worried ourselves sick, and exhausted every human solution before finally opening our Bible or bowing our heads in prayer? The truth is life will always find a way to fill our calendars if we let it. We must intentionally make room for the One who has already made room.

We often treat God as our last resort when He has always desired to be our first response. Imagine how different our days would look if, before reaching for our phone, turning on the television, or rushing out the door, we first sat down at the Lord's table and allowed Him to feed our souls.

Psalm 34 invites us, "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Notice that David didn't say to admire the meal or simply talk about it. He said to taste it. God's goodness is not something we merely discuss; it is something we experience as we walk with Him day after day. Every page of Scripture reveals His character. Every moment spent in prayer deepens our fellowship with Him. Every act of obedience reminds us that our Heavenly Father always knows what His children need. Maybe all you really need to do today, is to sit down one more time for a family meal with your Heavenly Father, at the head of the table where He truly belongs.

Serving Christ Together,
Pastor Doug

The Burning Bush Devotional July 31st
Today's Bread
Scripture: Exodus 16:4; Matthew 6:11; John 6:35; Exodus 16:4

Exodus 16:4 "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day...'"

Matthew 6:11 "Give us today our daily bread."

The children of Israel learned a lesson in the wilderness that many of us still struggle to learn today. God didn't fill their tents with enough manna for the next month. He didn't tell them to gather enough for next week. He simply promised there would be enough for today.

Every morning, they had a choice. They could trust God's promise and go gather what He had already provided, or they could worry whether it would be there tomorrow. Now ask yourselves…Isn't that exactly how we sometimes treat our spiritual lives? We worry about having enough strength for tomorrow, next week, or next year, while God is simply asking us to meet Him today. He has never promised to give us tomorrow's strength today, but He has promised to meet today's needs.

Just as Israel had to leave the tent every morning to gather the manna, we must make time to gather the spiritual nourishment God has already provided. His Word is still bread for the hungry soul. Prayer is still where weary hearts find renewed strength. If we neglect both, we shouldn't be surprised when we feel spiritually weak. We sometimes wonder why we feel spiritually empty while our Bible sits unopened on the table and our prayer life has become an occasional conversation instead of a daily relationship. We would never expect to stay physically healthy by eating one meal a week, yet many believers try to live on a spiritual meal they received last Sunday. Then, when temptation comes or discouragement settles in, they wonder why they feel so weak.

God never intended for His children to survive on yesterday's manna. He has something fresh to say today, fresh strength to give today, and fresh grace to pour out today—but we have to go gather it.
Now I know what some of you are thinking... "Preacher, wouldn't it be easier if God just gave me everything I needed all at once?" Maybe it would seem easier, but then we would slowly stop depending on Him. God didn't design the wilderness to teach Israel how to store up manna. He designed it to teach them to trust Him every single day. There is another lesson hidden in the manna that we often overlook. God could have dropped enough food into the camp for forty years on the very first day, but He chose not to. Why? Because every sunrise was another opportunity for His people to witness His faithfulness.

Every morning, they stepped outside their tents and saw the evidence that God had once again kept His Word. Isn't that how He still works? Every answered prayer, every need He supplies, every ounce of strength He provides becomes another reminder that His faithfulness didn't end yesterday. It showed up again this morning.
Jesus taught us to pray, "Give us today our daily bread." He was reminding us that the Christian life has always been a daily walk of faith. Every sunrise is another invitation to open His Word, spend time in prayer, and discover that God has already placed exactly what we need before us.

Don't spend today worrying about tomorrow's manna. God never intended us to live on yesterday’s leftovers, it's time to enjoy the fresh bread He gives you today, and when tomorrow gets here it will be today...now y’all, just go get your bread and enjoy.

Serving Christ Together,
Pastor Doug