Author: Emily Wooten

By Emily Wooten

In Deuteronomy 31:6 God had Moses tell the people, ” Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
The same way God spoke to the light in creation and told it to be and it was, he commanded Israel and Joshua to be strong and of a good courage. God doesn’t say words casually. When he speaks it is to cause something to happen.
Moses was gone and Joshua was faced with a seemingly unsurmountable task. God had chosen Joshua to lead his people. He spoke life in to Joshua and told him, “Be Strong!”
Joshua 1:8-9 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
What more do we need than to have God with us wherever we go? Holy Spirit has been sent to us.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
John 14:16-17 (Jesus said) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, (Holy Spirit) that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
John 10:26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
Jesus said it and it is recorded in John 14:26-27 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Those words still resound today, “Don’t let your heart be troubled or afraid.” God is encouraging us today to trust him in every situation. As we prioritize his will over our own, we will gain strength, grace and favor.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

by Emily Wooten

Matthew 16:15-19 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
The revelation that Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God was the foundation on which the church has been established. As born-again Christians, we have to choose to accept our position of authority and take God’s word, saying what he said about us.
In Matthew 25:14 Jesus begins teaching them. He said, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.” He explains that one was given five talents, another two and one was given one talent. The three had the opportunity to invest the talents and cause them to gain increase.
We see in verses 20-23 when the man returned his servants brought him what was his. “And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
God has given us great and precious promises. It is up to us to take his word and apply it to our lives, our circumstances and manage what he has given us by faith.
In John 14:2-3 Jesus said, ” In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
John 14:12-13″Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father and whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
We can choose to take God’s word by faith and manage our lives here in grace and favor. It is up too us to loose the Spirit of God and the angels to minister in us and our children. It is also up to us to bind the devil and stop him from destroying our families.

by Emily Wooten

Romans 13:7- Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. 8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loves another hath fulfilled the law.
Scriptures are rich with instructions and examples of showing love and appreciation. Paul often wrote about the principles of loving and showing love to one another.
Romans 12:9-13 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectionate, one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Philippians 2:3-4 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul explained that everything we do should be hinged on love, compassion, a yearning to see others blessed.
In John 13:34 we see where Jesus taught us to love one another.
{A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.}
Today we honor our Pastors with Pastor Appreciation Day. We will give them cards and gifts that serve to express our appreciation for their lives of service.
We see where God inspired David to give thanks to God. Psalm 92: 1-4 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: To shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound. For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
Pastors Ron and Lisa Johnson have spent a lifetime offering themselves in service to our Lord and Master. They’ve worked with the hands to help us grow as a church body and as individuals.
Take a moment today and lift up all our leaders: in our families, our church, our city, state and nation. Raise their names to God our father and ask for insight, wisdom and courage. Scripture says, in 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
We need God to show himself strong in our leaders: to give them wisdom and an understanding heart.
As we celebrate their 20 years at Fort Payne Church of God let us also rejoice in the years to come, and make them feel loved and appreciated.

by Emily Wooten

The first time David was anointed, he was a young man who tended his father’s sheep. The ceremony was private, with his immediate family.
1 Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. Later, the men of Judah anointed him king over their tribe in 2 Samuel 2:4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.
Finally, all the elders of Israel anointed him king over all of Israel in 2 Samuel 5:3-4 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
We need leaders in our community that are spirit led and anointed to lead. All too soon we will wake up and it will be the day we are supposed to vote. Communities all over DeKalb County will have municipal elections. Have you prayed about your vote? We would like to think those who are running for office have prayed and are being led. What about our responsibility to seek God for the person he wants to be in office?
Being Spirit led is just as important when it comes to our vote as any other aspect of our lives.
We have a responsibility to pray for those who are running for office. We can pray that God will give them the anointing to speak the truth in love. We can loose the Spirit of God to minister through them while submitting them to God for his direction.
David was anointed by God years before men understood he was born to be king. We have leaders that were also born to a purpose. If God be for them who can be against them? Let’s make sure it isn’t us who are contrary to God’s will. Pray that God will open the doors that need to be opened and close the doors that should be shut tight. It is our responsibility to seek God when it comes to our vote. It is not just a privilege that we get to vote, it is a responsibility. Let your voice be heard. Pray! Vote!

by Emily Wooten

God made a covenant for all humans through Abraham. His relationship with God positioned his family in God’s favor. God said of Abraham that he would not only do his commandments, but also teach his children.
Genesis 18:18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. It was through Isaac, Abraham’s son, that God would send a savior, the chosen Messiah.
A man is known by the legacy he leaves behind. We see in Genesis 31:42 Jacob acknowledging God’s protection and intervention in his life. Jacob states that if it weren’t for “the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac,” Laban would have sent him away with nothing. Is it possible for Isaac to have been taught to reverence God, to do his commandments, but never intimately experience God?
We see where God warned Isaac not to go to Egypt in Genesis 26:2-3, but we have no record of God walking or talking with Isaac the way he did with Adam or Abraham. Jacob’s idea of his father’s relationship with God is that he was the fear of Isaac. Maybe the reason Isaac obeyed God was out of a reverential fear.
Is it possible that our laid-back culture has produced a generation of Christians who not only don’t know God in an intimate fellowship, but they don’t reverence him either?
God saw in Abraham a human who would teach his children to obey God. It isn’t clear if Isaac loved God. As a teenager, he had been tied to the altar as a sacrifice at God’s request. Isaac was likely familiar with animal sacrifices, and his question (Genesis 22:8), “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” suggests he understood the purpose of their journey to Mount Moriah. When Abraham binds him and places him on the altar, Isaac would have realized he was to be the sacrifice. This realization for a young man must have been profound and potentially terrifying, yet he did not object. Perhaps he had been convinced that God was going to make a nation from him. At any rate, Abraham had taught his son to obey God.
Isaac was released at the last moment, and God did make a nation from his children. Because of the work of Jesus, the descendant of Isaac, we can have both an intimate relationship with God and reverence him. Through God’s word and the work of the Holy Spirit, we can experience God more profoundly than Isaac or Jacob. Fellowshipping with God is not just a privilege, it is a responsibility. Just do it!

By Emily Wooten

In a little over two weeks school will open the doors. It is a daunting task our educators have – to be responsible for exposing children to quality information while protecting them from other information and environmental circumstances can seem overwhelming. Bus drivers, lunchroom staff, coaches and sponsors will all contribute each day to our child’s life. They need our help! As children of the Living God, we have a responsibility to pray for our teachers and administrators.

Illuminating the next generation, helping them to develop good character and grow as individuals is a good thing. It is God’s will that ignorance be abolished. He carefully orchestrated the collection of ancient text which was used to create the Holy Bible. His instructions are available to everyone so we can learn. Without the opportunity to learn everyone would be lost.

We are blessed to live in a country where schools are available to almost everyone. Transportation in the form of busses will pick children up almost everywhere. Educational opportunities are not equal from one district to the other but they are all better than some parts of the world where education isn’t an option at all. 

Praying for our teachers, administrators, drivers, coaches and anyone who works in the school system will give them strength, incite and courage. Mark your calendar with reminders to pray for our school employees. They are all preparing for the upcoming classes. God can give them incite and wisdom to know how to approach their students. God can provide resources so they will have the tools they need to reach children in a positive way. You can have a part in helping chilren overcome the opstacles that will bombard them. You may be the difference they need. Pray!

by Emily Wooten

The concept of “Our Hope and Redeemer” centers on Jesus Christ as the one who offers salvation and a future with God. It emphasizes that through Jesus’ sacrifice, humanity is redeemed from sin and offered the hope of eternal life. This hope is not just a future promise, but also a present reality that shapes how believers live and endure hardships. 

Christian hope is not merely wishful thinking, but a confident expectation rooted in faith in Jesus and God’s promises. It allows believers to face challenges and uncertainties with assurance, knowing that God is faithful and will bring about His purposes.

Recognizing Jesus as our Redeemer inspires a changed life. Believers are motivated to live in a way that reflects God’s love and grace.

It’s not just about acknowledging a historical figure, but about actively choosing to follow Him and experiencing the transformative power of His grace.

This hope isn’t passive; it’s meant to be lived out. It inspires perseverance, love, and service.

Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Acts 2:38-39 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Scripture tells us many are called but few are chosen. It is our responsibility to comply with God’s instructions. Working out our own salvation with respect, acknowledging God in everything we do.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

By Emily Wooten

Isaiah 53:4-5 It is a forever settled subject: Jesus bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. . .  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. We can rejoice and be glad for our redeemer lives ever making intercession for us with the father.

1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

We are forgiven! What a glorious thought that we have been redeemed. Have been. We aren’t waiting in line for God to get ready to make us free. His word says he has already accomplished victory for anyone who will call on his name. 

Have you ever read Psalms 91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Again, that is talking about anyone who has asked Jesus to forgive their sin and be their Lord.

He continues in verses 9-11 Because thou (that means you if you belong to Jesus) hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. The entire 91st Psalm is a declaration of God’s commitment to keep us safe and deliver us from fear.

2 Timothy 1:6-7 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

Some of you are thinking you don’t have a purpose. Every member of the body of Christ is call to a purpose and redeemed so you can help others. Everywhere Jesus went he was teaching the word, rebuking devils and causing folks to be healed. He had compassion on them but he wasn’t led by compassion. He watched for the Father so he could tell him what to do.

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

In these verses alone we are compelled to: live unto righteousness, remember and stir up the gift of God, do what the Father does. 

Last week Pastor talked about fasting. There are many ways to fast. Sure withholding food to give yourself to study and prayer is one way. Another way to honor God with our time is neglecting fleshly desires to feed ourself on his word. How about instead of watching your favorite movie or TV show try turning off your devices and open your bible. Turn to the scriptures where Jesus walked this earth in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Read how he filled his day. Ask God to teach you how to fill your day like a redeemed Child of God with all his benefits.

by Emily Wooten

by Emily Wooten

Exodus 33:11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaks unto his friend. 

John 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Isaiah 41: 8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.

Psalms 25:12-14 What man is he that fears the Lord? Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.  His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

God has shown us his love throughout time. He has expressed how dear we are to him. The fact that Jesus was willing to lay down his position as God’s son in order to come to earth in a human body shows us God’s commitment to us and to his word.

What is our commitment to God? Can we say we call God our friend? Do we trust and obey with excitement? How many times does God have to speak to us before we hear and obey? One step, one day at a time, consistently choosing God’s way over our own–that is the way to success in pleasing God. 

If we have chosen Jesus as our Lord we have been given the measure of faith. We have his word and with his help, we have the strength to make the next decision be a good one. If we don’t make choices on purpose, Satan will choose for us by pushing his will on us. He is an outlaw. We have to be consistent and stand on God’s word, being doers of the word in order to stop him. Many don’t know how to enforce the word and arrest bad behavior. 

John 10:10 says that Jesus came that we might have life and that more abundant. It also says that the devil who is a thief comes to steal, kill and destroy (anyone he can). It is up to us to tell him no! 

God’s covenant with us has enabled us to choose life. With that choice God our heavenly Father has also provided a way of escape from every obstacle. We are precious to him and he wants to spend time with us. As we communicate with God, we grow stronger. His Holy Spirit makes himself available to teach us if we listen.