Category: Faith (Page 4 of 6)

Every day I wake up is a good day. If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change. If it is meant to be, it will happen. If it does not happen, then something better is meant to be. If you think that you can or you think that you can't, either way, you are correct.

Fostering a better attitude.

January 31, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

The words in this picture are a combination of encouraging, secular statements that I’ve heard, read, and adopted over several years. We all experience wonderful and sometimes terrible moments, but what do we do with them? I typically see the glass as half full and cherish the good memories, finding comfort in them during difficult times. This helps me keep a positive attitude at all times.

Like most, I’ve had to deal with bad, harsh, sad, and challenging times. Nothing, however, has helped me more through difficult times than God, through my faith and trust in Jesus, which is grounded in my study and understanding of God’s word and His love for us. For this reason, I constantly go to God in Jesus name through prayer.

Stating one believes in Christ is good, but there is no substitute for knowing why one believes. We gain that knowledge through study, which is why I encourage everyone to set aside opinions and study God’s word for what it says.

Admittedly, the bad sometimes makes one question the wisdom of these secular statements, but I’m glad I adopted them, as, in my opinion, they foster a better attitude.

A few scriptures:

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” James 1:17-18

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer;” (2 Samuel 22:2)

“You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.” James 2:19

“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” 1 Peter 3:15

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

God First!

The Crux of God’s Forgiveness is our Repentance

January 28, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

In my writing, I’ve been known to share the good, the bad, and the ugly of my life at times. I do this in hopes of encouraging others to seek their answers where I found mine, in the knowledge of Scripture. This knowledge helps us realize that if we follow Jesus according to His will, not ours, we will come to experience peace far beyond our own understanding. Our lives have many Satan-crafted pitfalls designed to inch us away from our Creator and towards a valley of eternal death.

As a young man, I was baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of my sins and lived faithfully for many years. Faithfulness does not mean being without sin; rather, it means making every effort to pursue righteousness by following Jesus’ teachings and keeping His commandments. Sometimes we fail; however, if we know Scripture, it helps us recognize our failures, return to our creator, repent of our sins, and ask for forgiveness. Since we know from scripture that baptized believers are in Christ, God will forgive us when we repent.

The crux of God’s forgiveness is our repentance.

To truly repent of sin is to turn away from those sins as we experience Godly Sorrow, dedicating ourselves from that point to the correction of our lives using the Word of God as our foundation. Scripture defines Godly Sorrow this way: “For Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

With Godly grief, we repent of sinful ways; this means we change direction and stop indulging in those temptations that go against God’s Holy Word. Scripture lets us know that baptized believers who choose to indulge and continue doing what we know to be wrong are crucifying Christ once again.

“For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.” 2 Peter 2:20-21

also see: Hebrews 6:4-6, James 5:19-20, Hebrews 10:26-27

Although a baptized believer, I ended up spending 20 years with my soul in a lost condition as I had succumbed to a series of temptations and pitfalls designed by Satan.

I thought my faith was strong, but my decisions after a failed marriage proved my knowledge was weak, and my commitment shaken. I allowed myself, inch by inch, to pursue worldly desires over following Jesus. These infractions stacked and built to the point that during those 20 years, I feared correction could jeopardize my adopted lifestyle and possibly put my relationship at risk.

I was, however, acutely aware that my choices had me living in sin. This bothered me. Satan had successfully painted me into a corner, forcing me to choose between following Jesus according to His will or losing my soul.

Indeed, as scripture states, I was crucifying Christ to myself. Years I can’t get back, a bad example to family and friends that can’t be unset, where soul-risking damage was done. Today, I draw on those years as fuel for my efforts to never give up on encouraging others to grow in Christ, and I often pray that, if they won’t listen to me, God will put people in their lives they might. I cannot imagine ever allowing Satan to turn me away from God again.

I pray that if you’re reading this and reflecting on your own life, you find yourself right with God; but if not, I pray you will experience godly grief that produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret, rather than worldly grief that produces death.

God First, forever and ever, Amen!

If you’re not yet in Christ as a baptized believer:

God’s Grace: Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:24, Titus 2:11, Acts 15:11
Hearing the Gospel:– Romans 10:17, John 8:32
Belief/Faith: – Hebrews 11:1, John 8:24, Romans 10:17, Acts 3:19
Repentance of sin: – 2 Cor. 7:9-10, Luke 13:3-5, Acts 17:30
Confess Christ: – Romans 10:9-10, Matthew 10:32-33, Luke 12:8-9
Baptism by immersion for forgiveness of sin: – Matthew 16:15-16, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, John 3:5, Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 4:5, Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12, Acts 8:36-39, Mark 1:9-10, John 3:23

Offering to pray with someone.

January 23, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

The day I wrote most of the following, I had the urge to ask someone if I could pray with them about concerns weighing heavily on their heart, not just pray for them; however, for some reason, I felt awkward about extending this offer of prayer and instead offered to include them in my prayers. After they left, I reflected on that moment and was disappointed in my hesitation. I believe wholeheartedly in the power of prayer and that God hears and answers prayers, but I’d missed the opportunity to share that understanding one-on-one.

There are several benefits to praying with someone rather than just for them; here are a few:

In praying with someone, we step out of our shells and open our hearts to their needs; by doing so, we display Christ’s love for them through prayer.
We show compassion and genuine interest in their situation while demonstrating our faith and trust in God’s ability to help them.
Our relationship with that person builds.
I’ve been told how such an unexpected invitation to pray inspired people to change their lives and move toward Christ dramatically, and I’ve seen them do so.

Christians care about others!

Praying for others is good, and praying with and for others can have a significant impact.

I’ve personally shared concerns with others and been unexpectedly asked: “Can we pray about this?

Admittedly, I was taken aback by their offer; however, these one-on-one moments are now fondly etched in my mind forever. I believe much good can come from praying with others and making such prayer invitations a habit.

In Acts chapter 4, the disciples prayed for boldness. As I grow stronger in Christ, I pray that God will help me overcome hesitations, great or small, and that I will serve Christ with all boldness.

If I never make a difference, it won’t be because I didn’t try!

James 5:16-18
Ephesians 6:19
Ephesians 5:2
John 13:34
1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

God First!

Prayer, Don’t deprive God, Don’t deprive yourself, Don’t deprive others, Ask for prayers Doing so gives others the opportunity to help and God the opportunity to hear those prayers. Do you truly believe

Depriving self deprives God

January 21, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

I was reviewing some of my memories on Facebook. It’s now been 13 years since I had my hip replaced and 7 years since the pulmonary embolism that nearly took my life.

I’m undoubtedly grateful that we live in a time of such incredible medical understanding, doctors, and treatments. I’m also certain that without God’s help, our insurance, and today’s medical advancements, I would probably be suffering greatly or dead by now, and unable to be the caregiver of my beautiful wife. I’m so blessed to be here and thankful to be able to serve.

One of my most valuable memories from these events was having people take time from their busy lives to come to the hospital and pray with me, and knowing that many others were praying as well.

People knew to pray because I had asked for their prayers. I asked for prayers because I believe God answers them, and, thankfully, in these instances, He helped me recover, per many requests. I’m often surprised when someone says they believe in prayer, but later, when they need prayers, they hesitate to ask for them on their own behalf, as if they don’t want to bother others with their problems. By doing this, they deprive others of the opportunity to help and deprive God of the opportunity to hear all those prayers.

Much good came from both of these experiences. God is good, and God is love, all the time!

God wants our prayers, and He wants us praying for others.

In Jesus Name!

John 14:13-14
James 5:16
Philippians 4:6
3 John 1:2
Ephesians 3:14–19

Supplementing our faith; If you do this, you will never fall.

January 8, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “supplement” as: 1 a: something that completes or makes an addition

The ESV uses the phrase “supplement our faith” in 2 Peter 1:5. Other versions use the terms

Support your faith
Give all diligence, add to your faith…
Add on your part all diligence

What an admirable pursuit for 2026

To pursue making our faith more complete by adding the attributes in this scripture, and bettering ourselves.

“For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.“

2 Peter 1:5-11 ESV

God First!

Update on God First Cup efforts,

January 7, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

I have now given several cups to strangers and invited them to visit the congregation I attend. In doing so, I have noted what they can expect during their visit, stating: we are not an “entertainment church,” but rather we are a Church that focuses on teaching and studying God’s Word.

This point is made because I have been invited by others to visit their church with the preludes, “It has a great band,” “You will love the band, “The lead singer in the band is awesome,” and so forth. So, I want people to understand that I am not inviting them to be entertained, but rather to worship and learn.

Before giving away a mug with its message, I generally ask one or two questions

Do you believe in God? These answers have been: Yes, No, sort of, I believe in a higher power, and I am a Buddhist. If they are Believers, I often ask, do you go to Church somewhere? Yes, No, I’ve been looking for one, not yet, I’ve been thinking about it, and I don’t believe in God.

I ask these questions to avoid offending the disbeliever by giving them a cup they don’t want; however, for everyone else, my desire is to plant seeds by giving them this cup of inspiration that states, “the best life is a God First life.”

Recently, I talked with a young lady at the carwash who said she did not go to church anywhere and sort of believed in God. I still offered her a cup, pointing out the message of love on and inside the cup, while giving her a Buford CoC card with service times, address, website, and phone number, and invited her to visit and learn more.

Opportunities abound. I stopped and gave mugs to a family down the street with two small children. They are outside a lot and exchange waves with us when we drive by. As they received their cups, they told me they had been looking for a Church. We also have a new family across the street with three small children who currently attend a church. I gave them cups and invited them to visit. We’ve given cups to people on our daily park walks, and yesterday to the receptionist, where we had our dog Casper groomed, and invited her to visit.

It’s my hope that these gifts will inspire some of these people to attend and learn, but at the very least, this God First message is planting seed and being seen in their homes, cars, and hands, so I pray for open hearts and fertile soil.

If you’re interested in using the cups to help you plant seeds or invite others, reach out to me. Although I cannot afford to give all of them away, I am reselling them for pennies above my actual cost and including the paper message inside each cup. By having others purchase some of the cups, I can buy enough to get reasonable prices and do it over and over.

God First!

Our Forever Home

August 11, 2023 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

In the last few days, I’ve seen several memories once shared on social media of past celebrations, as today would’ve been Dad’s birthday. But in November 2019, Dad went to his forever home. Thankfully, because of Dad’s (and Mom’s) commitment to doing God’s will according to God’s will, our family gets to celebrate with much confidence the hope of eternal salvation that is now no longer a hope but a reality to our Dad and Mom.

Every person on earth has the same offer today.

The Son of God lived the perfect life; in His innocence, Christ was sacrificed on the Cross (The perfect lamb) and was resurrected to what Jesus referred to as His Father’s house, a place with many mansions where He would prepare a place for us.

Jesus tells us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me”; “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.”; “For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

We miss our parents’ presence today but look forward to being with them again in that heavenly home prepared for those who love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and will strive to keep Jesus’s commandments found in God’s Holy Word.

John 14:1-31 (the way, keep commands…)
Matthew 11:30 (burden is light)
Matthew 24:36-51 (No one Knows the Day or Hour)
1 Corinthians 15:52 (twinkling of an eye)

Grace:

Ephesians 2:8
Romans 3:24
Titus 2:11
Acts 15:11

Belief/Faith:

Hebrews 11:1
John 8:24
Romans 10:17
Acts 3:19

Repentance:

2 Cor. 7:9-10
Luke 13:3-5
Acts 17:30

Confess:

Romans 10:9-10
Matthew 10:32-33
Luke 12:8-9

Baptism by immersion for the forgiveness of sin:

Matthew 16:15-16
1 Peter 3:21
Acts 2:38
Mark 16:16
John 3:5
Matt 28:18-20
Ephesians 4:5
Romans 6:3-4
Colossians 2:12
Acts 8:36-39
Mark 1:9-10
John 3:23

2 Timothy 4:7-8 (Fight the good fight)
2 Corinthians 1:3-11 (God of all Comfort)
Philippians 4:4-7 (The Peace of God)

God First!

Would you believe it!

February 2, 2023 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Would you believe it? These sticks and stones just ended up on the tree stump seen in this picture, looking like this cute face all by themselves. It was simply an accident.

No, me neither. Logic tells us someone definitely laid these sticks into their positions. This face was created by design.

Do you also realize it is far more probable that this artwork all landed into place by accident than to believe that anything other than God created everything we see, smell, breathe, feel, and know?

IN THE BEGINNING, GOD created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

It’s the most logical conclusion, and both science and math support it.

Encourage and build-up

January 12, 2022 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

“_{Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil}.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:11-22‬ (‭NASb)

God First!

Let Go and Trust God

November 29, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 1 Comment

Forgiveness is natural for the good heart, like the heart of a child. Children forgive and move on. But, unfortunately, it’s often not so quick for the adult heart. A Heart cut deep and fractured with lifelong pain needs to know how to lean on Jesus, trust God, petition God in prayer, and have our prayers well heard. We need to let the God of all comfort help us! Let Him mend our brokenness and restore those childhood hearts.

The evil one will do all he can to inflame our wounds and focus our minds on wrongful thoughts; “Satan’s Will” is that we are consumed and devoured by hate. He wants to steal the joy, satisfaction, and hope we get from striving to do “God’s Will” and follow the teachings of Christ. Satan knows there is no joy in a heart consumed by hatred.

We do, however, have a defense! We can become spiritually equipped to cope with wrongs and the injustices of this world, but are we? Only God can truly help us in all situations, but we must be willing to let Jesus be our Shepard. It doesn’t take great physical strength to let Jesus carry our burdens. It takes faith and commitment to follow God’s will, not our will.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV.

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Romans 12:19 ESV

God’s will, leads to salvation; Satan’s will, leads to destruction. However, we have the freedom to choose, and by God’s grace, we can all have forgiveness by our obedient faith. So – Let go and Trust God.