Tag: Bible

Not In The Storm

Today’s a new day!

There comes a moment in life when you realize the journey is not about pretending to be strong every second of every day. It is about learning how to walk honestly with God through both the beautiful moments and the painful ones. As I continue walking this crazy beautiful health journey, I am jumping into the deep end of life.  I am choosing to live fully, love deeply, and embrace every moment God places in front of me. I am taking trips with my bride, cherishing the laughter, the quiet moments, and the memories we are building together. I am having deep and meaningful conversations about real life, real struggles, real faith, and real hope. No sugar coating. No masks. Just honesty wrapped in grace.

Some days are incredibly good. Some days feel light, hopeful, and full of strength. Then there are days that are really tough. Days where the storm feels loud and exhausting. But through every high and every low, I refuse to let the storm become my identity. My diagnosis is not my identity. My struggles are not my identity. My difficult moments are not my identity. My identity is found completely in Christ, and that is the only identity that truly matters.

The world often tries to define people by what they are going through.   God defines us by who we belong to. We belong to Him. We are loved by Him. We are redeemed by Him. We are sustained by Him. Storms may shape parts of our story, but they do not get to name us. Jesus does.

What this journey has taught me more than anything is this: life is too precious to spend buried under fear, hesitation, or regret. Too many people are waiting for “someday” to start living. Someday they will take the dream trip. Someday they will say “I love you.” Someday they will forgive. Someday they will have the hard but healing conversation. Someday they will step out in faith and pursue what God placed in their heart. But someday is never promised.

So my encouragement to everyone reading this is simple: live life to the fullest. Trust God enough to truly live. Take the trip. Make the phone call. Sit down and have the real conversation. Laugh loudly. Love deeply. Pray boldly. Stop allowing fear to keep you trapped in a life of “I wish I would have.” The storm may still rage around you, but there is a way to live beyond the storm.

Living beyond the storm does not mean pretending the storm is not real. It means refusing to let the storm steal your joy, your purpose, your faith, or your ability to truly live. It means understanding that even in the middle of pain, God is still writing beautiful chapters. It means choosing to see every breath as a gift and every day as an opportunity to love God and love people well.

At the end of our lives, most people will not regret loving too much, believing too much, or trusting God too deeply. They will regret the moments fear kept them from fully living. So live courageously. Live gratefully. Live authentically. And no matter what storm comes your way, never forget who you are.

Your identity is not in the storm.

Your identity is in Christ. ~OC

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Before We Speak

Today’s a new day! 

In a world overflowing with criticism, outrage, and division, followers of Jesus are called to respond differently. It is easy to point out someone’s failures. It is easy to condemn, shame, or speak harshly when people fall short. But Christ never called His people to become professional judges of broken humanity. He called us to become carriers of grace, truth, and prayer. Before we rush to criticize someone’s life, we should first fall to our knees and pray for their heart. Before we speak words of condemnation, we should ask God to move in their life the same way He once moved in ours.

Every person you see fighting battles, making mistakes, or wandering far from God is still someone deeply loved by the Creator. Many people are carrying wounds nobody knows about. Some are drowning in fear, addiction, loneliness, bitterness, or shame. They do not need believers throwing stones from a distance; they need people willing to intercede for them with compassion. Jesus showed us what mercy looks like. Even while hanging on the cross, He prayed, “Father, forgive them.” If the Son of God responded to hatred with prayer and forgiveness, how much more should we?

Pray more than you judge. Pray more than you condemn. Pray for your family members who seem far from God. Pray for those who hurt you. Pray for those trapped in sin. Pray for those who mock your faith. Prayer has the power to soften hardened hearts, restore broken lives, and bring people into an encounter with Jesus that no argument ever could. Condemnation pushes people further into darkness, but prayer invites the light of God into impossible situations.

The Church shines brightest when it reflects the heart of Christ. Truth matters, but truth without love becomes noise. We are called to stand for righteousness while still extending mercy to people who desperately need hope. None of us were saved because we were perfect; we were saved because Jesus loved us in the middle of our brokenness. May we become believers known not for harsh judgment, but for powerful prayers, compassionate hearts, and a relentless desire to see people redeemed by the grace of God. ~OC

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A Calling. A Challenge

Today’s a new day!

There are moments when numbers stop being statistics and start becoming something deeply personal. Right now is one of those moments.

Roughly 3 to 3.4 billion people in the world have had little to no access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s about 40–42% of the global population. Take a moment and really sit with that. Those aren’t just figures on a page. Each number represents a life. A story. A soul created with purpose, longing for truth, searching for hope—whether they realize it yet or not.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by a number that large. It can seem distant, like a problem too big for any one person to impact. But the Gospel has never spread because of massive systems alone—it has always moved from person to person, heart to heart, conversation to conversation. And that brings the reality closer than we might be comfortable admitting. 

Because at some point, it becomes personal.

Many of us know the quiet tension that rises when we feel prompted to share our faith. The hesitation. The inner dialogue. What if they reject me? What if they think I’m strange? What if I say the wrong thing? Fear of rejection and ridicule can be powerful enough to silence even the most sincere believer.

But here’s the question we have to wrestle with: what are we more concerned about—the temporary discomfort of being rejected, or the eternal reality that we might be the only person who ever shares Jesus with that individual?

That shifts everything.

We often assume someone else will step in. Someone more equipped, more confident, more eloquent. But what if there is no one else? What if the opportunity in front of you isn’t random, but intentional? A divine appointment placed in your path for a reason?

Jesus didn’t call His followers to comfort—He called them to purpose. He didn’t promise that every conversation would be easy or well received, but He did make it clear that every soul matters. His love is not meant to be contained; it’s meant to be shared. Boldly. Compassionately. Authentically.

And sharing doesn’t always look like standing on a stage or having all the right answers. Sometimes it looks like a simple conversation. A testimony. A moment of kindness that opens the door to something deeper. Sometimes it’s just being willing—available to be used.

The world is searching. Beneath the noise, the distractions, and the brokenness, there is a deep hunger for hope and truth. The message of Jesus is still life-changing. Still healing. Still the answer.

So the question remains: what will we do with the opportunity in front of us?

Will we allow fear to keep us silent, or will we step forward in faith, trusting that God can use even our imperfect words? Will we focus on how we might be perceived, or on the eternal impact a single conversation could have?

Every day presents moments that matter more than we realize. Moments where eternity brushes up against the ordinary. Moments where a simple act of obedience can ripple far beyond what we can see.

Those billions of people aren’t just “out there.” They are closer than we think—in our communities, our workplaces, our daily routines.

And maybe, just maybe, one of them is waiting for someone like you to speak up. ~OC

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No Authority

Today’s a new day!

Fear is a powerful emotion, but as a believer, it does not have authority over your life. Scripture reminds us time and time again that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. When fear tries to creep in—whether it’s fear of the unknown, fear of failure, or fear of loss—you can stand firm knowing that it does not come from God. Instead, it is something you are called to resist through faith. God’s presence in your life is greater than any anxiety that tries to take hold, and His promises are unshakable even when your circumstances feel uncertain.

Walking in freedom from fear requires trust. It means choosing to believe God’s truth over your feelings. Fear may speak loudly, but it does not have the final say—God does. When you anchor your heart in His Word, you begin to see that fear loses its grip. You are not defined by your worries or limited by your doubts; you are defined by who God says you are: chosen, loved, and secure in Him. As you continue to lean into His presence, you’ll find that courage rises, peace settles in, and fear fades into the background where it belongs—powerless and without authority over your life. ~OC

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Betrayal

Today’s a new day! 

As the Church, we sometimes find it easier to point fingers outward. We blame the culture, the media, politics, or the “world” for betraying Jesus. Yet the truth is more uncomfortable than that. The world cannot betray someone it has never truly known. Betrayal requires relationship. It requires proximity. The people who encountered Jesus in the Gospels—who listened to His teaching, walked the dusty roads beside Him, and still chose power, fear, or self-preservation over truth—were not outsiders. They were the ones closest to the story.

In every generation, the Church must wrestle with this reality. Those who have studied Scripture, preached sermons, and claimed the name of Christ carry a particular responsibility. When worldly influence, political power, or tribal loyalty becomes more important than loving our neighbor, telling the truth, or living with integrity, something sacred is lost. Jesus was clear that love of neighbor sits at the heart of faith, and that character matters more than status. When the Church trades these things for influence or control, it risks repeating the same pattern we see throughout history: choosing the kingdoms of this world over the way of Christ.

This is not a call to shame but a call to reflection. Faithfulness has never been measured by how loudly we condemn the outside world, but by how deeply we embody the teachings of Jesus ourselves. The Church’s witness is strongest not when it seeks dominance, but when it chooses humility, compassion, and truth—even when those choices cost us influence. If betrayal comes from those who knew Him best, then renewal must also begin there—with hearts willing to return to the simple but demanding command Jesus gave: love God, and love your neighbor as yourself. ~OC

***You can find the Spoken Word version of this post at my YouTube channel Todd E. Shoemaker Music.

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Stand Up

In recent days, I watched a troubling moment involving a State Representative from Tennessee, who attempted to use scripture to justify slavery while arguing in support of an educational bill. As a Christian, moments like this are heartbreaking. Dear Representative from Tennessee, you should be ashamed of yourself for trying to use God’s Word to spread evil and misinformation. Scripture has been misused throughout history to justify terrible acts, from oppression to segregation, but those distortions never represented the heart of the Gospel. I am thankful that another Representative, had the courage to speak up and challenge such misuse of the Bible. It takes moral clarity and conviction to stand up in a public forum and say that God’s Word should never be twisted to defend injustice.

Dear politicians everywhere: please stop using scripture out of context to try to pass laws or justify harmful policies. The Bible is not a political prop, and the teachings of Jesus call believers toward humility, mercy, justice, and love for our neighbors. When scripture is cherry-picked to support power, control, or prejudice, it not only harms people—it damages the witness of the Christian faith itself. Jesus never used God’s Word to oppress others; instead, He consistently lifted up the marginalized and confronted those who abused authority.

And to pastors, churches, and the broader Christian community: we must also take responsibility. Too often, we support politicians simply because they claim the Christian label or vote the way we prefer on certain issues. But our loyalty should never belong to a political party or candidate—it should belong to Christ. Dear pastors, churches, and fellow believers: please stop supporting leaders who misuse scripture and whose actions do not reflect Jesus. Faithfulness means discernment. If someone invokes the name of Christ while acting contrary to His teachings, it is not only appropriate but necessary to speak out. The credibility of our faith depends on our willingness to stand for truth, justice, and the authentic message of the Gospel. ~OC

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With Tears

Today’s a new day! Yesterday, as I scrolled through social media, I was struck by a disturbing post shared by the current President of the United States—an image involving a former President and First Lady that many, myself included, perceived as racist and deeply offensive. What troubled me just as much as the post itself was the near-total silence that followed from Christian leaders, organizations and the Christian community as a whole. I looked for statements, condemnations, or even thoughtful reflections grounded in Scripture, but found very little. That silence was deafening. It raises a painful question: how can the Christian community remain quiet—or worse, quietly supportive—when words and actions so clearly contradict the character and teachings of Christ?

This moment exposes a deeper concern that has been growing in my heart for some time. Too many Christians appear to have chosen political allegiance over Gospel faithfulness. When loyalty to a party or a person outweighs our commitment to love, truth, humility, and justice, something has gone terribly wrong. Jesus did not call His followers to power, outrage, or mockery; He called us to love our neighbors, defend the marginalized, and speak truth with grace. When the Church mirrors the cruelty, division, and bitterness of the world, rather than standing apart from it, we lose our witness. It is hard not to imagine Jesus weeping as He watches His Church drift further from His example, trading compassion for convenience and conviction for comfort.

If the teachings and love of Jesus are to remain alive in the Church and the Christian community, we must be willing to speak—even when it is uncomfortable, even when it costs us politically or socially. Silence in the face of injustice is not neutrality; it is a choice. The Gospel demands more from us. It calls us back to Christ-centered courage, where love is louder than hate, truth is stronger than fear, and faithfulness to Jesus outweighs every earthly allegiance. ~OC

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I Will

Today’s a new day! In the quiet of the morning, I’ll find my place,

I will open up my Bible, and let God’s love take its space.

I’ll pour out my heart, on the pages worn,

And listen for the whispers, that only He can speak. 

I’ll journal my thoughts, my fears, my doubts,

And let the truth of scripture, shine like a beacon bright and loud.

I will pray, with a humble heart,

And let God’s presence, heal every part.

In the stillness, He’ll restore my soul,

And breathe new life, into my heart that’s grown old.

I’ll sit with God, and let love abide,

And in His presence, I’ll find my heart’s inside.

With every word, with every breath,

I’ll seek His face, and find my peace.

I will trust, I will obey,

And in His love, I’ll find my way. ~OC

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Lessons Being Learned

Today’s a new day! Here are four things that God has been showing me over the past few months. I guess God wanted to remind me of His love, care and purpose for me, even in the midst of this health journey. I pray they encourage you. 

I Am Precious In God’s Eyes:

Isaiah 43: 4 says, ‘You are precious and honoured in my sight, and … I love you.’

As my body and mind continues to be an issue, I need to remind myself continually that God loves me for who I am not what I can do. The Lord has chosen me to be his treasured possession (Deuteronomy 14:2) and I am still precious to him despite my illness. He knows what he is doing and he is good.

If you are feeling that you have no purpose, the Lord wants to tell you differently. He wants you to know that your purpose is being his child, not what you are able to do.

I Am Blessed:

As I continue to walk through this crazy beautiful health journey, I have periods of sadness,  as I mourn the things I am no longer capable of doing. Some days are harder than others and I feel helpless and upset that I am a burden on Laura and others. Yet, God promises that if I lean on him and trust him, he will give me the strength that I need.

I need to ask God daily to help me remember my blessings. I have so much to be thankful for. Each day is a gift to enjoy being with Laura and friends making memories. I cannot allow myself to constantly be distracted by those friends who have decided to walk away, for whatever reason. 

I am reminded that God’s word says that every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17) and I have been able to find much pleasure in the everyday things around me that I had not noticed before.

When you have a serious illness your world becomes much smaller, but in God’s grace even that can be a blessing. God has opened my eyes to see the little things in life and I can pray about them. I have time to see God answering those prayers and to see how he is interested in the tiny little details of our lives. Sometimes, living in the moment is a real privilege. I don’t need to worry about earning money or running a house because I have to trust that God will give others the strength and wisdom to do that. I know I can trust God in the big things because I can see him working in the little things.

I Am Useful:

It has been very hard not being able to get to church services and have fellowship with people. Zoom, text and phone calls are great but they aren’t the real thing. Often, although I know people pray for me and love me from afar, it can feel very lonely away from the church and everyday life. Yet, wherever I am,  I am still part of God’s family. I am still part of life. I really value people visiting and telling me what God is doing in their lives. It is good to be able to serve the Lord by praying for them and with them.

I can encourage others just by continuing to walk out this health journey, and let people see how He continues to move in the midst of the storm. I continue to learn that you don’t always need to be cheerful and smiling to be an encourager. Just sharing your life and your struggles and letting others see how God sustains you even in the midst of pain and darkness can be an encouragement. God continues to show me that Christian fellowship is about sharing your life with others, the ups, the downs, the differences and the bits in between. True fellowship is precious and points us  to Heaven.

Each day I ask God to help me to be content and to make life as easy as possible for those around me. There are times when I struggle with not being fully involved in daily life, but I know life needs to go on around me. I am still a husband, son, friend and I pray that God will make me the best one I can be.

I Am Being Made New:

I continue to learn that God is bigger than all of my health issues. He is good and his ways are perfect. I sometimes wonder why I am here after all these years, but while He allows me to continue living, I know that he will give me the strength to shine for him. I am reminded almost daily, even a weak and tiny flame can bring much light to a darkened room.

Guess what? God doesn’t see my body as decaying. No, my body is being changed for good and when God sees me as ready, he will take me to be with him, forever. I know that I am more than my illness, I am a child of God and I am loved.

Some days, the enemy tries to put fear in my heart. But on those days, I lean on the words of Psalm 23, which states, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me.” I know that God will give me the strength to keep going until he calls me home. I continue to learn not to worry about tomorrow, but to be thankful and trust him for today. God knows what is coming and he will be with me when it comes.

I want to encourage you, in whatever storm you might find yourself walking through, that you are precious to the Lord and he will never leave you nor forsake you. ~OC

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Unity

Today’s a new day! It is very rare to find someone who has not experienced church hurt in some way. In a very me society, it is much easier to faze in and out of churches when we like what it teaches or offers (or dislike what it teaches or does). The type of unity that the Bible speaks about and commands is rarely experienced. In fact, when a church tries to move in this direction, it’s easy to be skeptical and defensive.

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.” ~Psalm 133:1-3

“Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” ~Ephesians 4:13

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,” ~Romans 15:5

It is both good and pleasant when a church lives its life together in a unified manner. It’s like the anointed blessing of God in so much abundance that it covers us with God’s blessing from the top of our head to the soles of our feet. It is here, in unified fellowship, that God has commanded the very blessing of eternal life. In other words, when we live in a unified manner, we experience a taste of Heaven, where we will live eternally in perfect unity.

I truly believe that if we want to experience a taste of heaven, experience the joy of our Savior, and provide a faithful picture of Christ to the world, we need to pray and work for unity in our local churches. Because the enemy wants nothing more than to divide believers in the local church. As believers we must sit in the love, grace, forgiveness and love of Jesus. Let unity reign! ~OC

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