David J Butler, Realtor

05/22/2025

04/10/2025

04/10/2025

This place 🥰

04/10/2025

02/19/2025

CHOOSE MERCY

February 19, 2025

You’ve been hurt. Part of you is broken, the other part is bitter. Part of you wants to cry, part of you wants to fight.
And you’re left with a decision.
Do I get over it or get even?
Do I release it or resent it?

Resentment is when you allow what’s eating you to eat you up.
Revenge is the raging fire that consumes the arsonist.
Bitterness the trap that snares the hunter.
And mercy is the choice that can set them all free.

“Blessed are the merciful,” Jesus said on the mountain. “They shall be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7 NIV).

Forgiving others allows us to see how God has forgiven us. The dynamic of giving grace is the key to understanding grace, for it is when we forgive others that we begin to feel what God feels.

Set your enemy—and yourself—free.
(Lucado)

David Butler, Pastor
FACC (nondenominational)
(a.k.a. rock’n roll church)
306 S. Geronimo St.
Miramar Beach, FL. 32550 USA
Worship every Sunday 11AM

The BLESSING
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

02/14/2025

02/08/2025

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Words Will Never Hurt Me

“In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.”
James 3:5

Have you ever seen a roast? I’m talking about the comedy performance, not the cut of beef. A roast is when several comedians and celebrities “pay tribute” to a featured guest. The way they pay tribute is through insults.

The tradition started over a century ago at the Friars Club in New York City. In the 1970s, Dean Martin hosted several celebrity hosts as part of his television show. In recent years, however, celebrity roasts have gained notoriety for their anything-goes atmosphere.

It seems that nothing is sacred anymore, not when there’s roasting to be done. No topic is off-limits. No insult is too vile. The further you push the envelope, the more memorable you are as a roaster. Some comedians have become famous because of their vicious roasting routines.

It makes you wonder why someone would volunteer to be roasted. Those who do are praised as good sports and being able to take a joke. Because, after all, it’s all in good fun. Everything is said in jest. So there’s no reason for anyone to get offended or take things personally.

But, of course, that’s not reality. And in recent years, roast participants have talked about how they couldn’t really laugh off some of the things that were said about them. How a single comment wrecked their self-confidence and even their mental health.

Their experiences highlight the truth of what James says in James 3:5: “In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire” (NLT).

People say, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But that’s not true. You can probably remember words that hurt you deeply. Maybe someone told you that you’d never amount to anything. Or that there’s something wrong with your appearance. Those things are hard to forget.

The good news is, so are heartfelt compliments and words of encouragement. Think of some of the beautiful things your spouse—or your family members or other loved ones—said that still resonate with you today. That’s the point Proverbs 18:21 makes: “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences” (NLT). The choice is yours.

Proverbs 25:11 says, “The right word at the right time is like precious gold set in silver” (CEV). Saying the right thing at the right time is a gift whose value will increase over time. Your words have the potential to change lives. Ask God for the wisdom to use them to their best advantage.

Your tongue can leave a path of destruction in its wake—or it can leave a legacy of encouragement, healing, confidence-building, and love. (Laurie)

David J. Butler, Pastor
Faith Christian Church
(a.k.a. rock’n roll church)

02/04/2025

February 3, 2025

When Shadows Gather

The cords of death entangled me; . . . I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears" Psalm 18:4, 6)

When trials come and frustrations build, we often look for a way out from under the pressure. We may overlook the fact that God has a plan even for our emotionally rainy days. Many times, as problems linger long and sorrows grow tense, we forget that God is right beside us. He has not left us to battle our way through our difficulty alone.

Pastor and devotional author George Matheson shared a short devotion on Daniel 3:25 in a 1930 edition of The King's Business:

"Walking in the midst of the fire" (Dan. 3:25).
The fire did not arrest their motion: they walked in the midst of it. It was one of the streets through which they moved to their destiny. The comfort of Christ's revelation is not that it teaches emancipation from sorrow, but emancipation through sorrow. O my God, teach me, when the shadows have gathered, that I am only in a tunnel. It is enough for me to know that it will be all right someday. They tell me that I shall stand upon the peaks of Olivet, the heights of resurrection glory. But I want more, O my Father; I want Calvary to lead up to it. I want to know that the shadows of this world are the shades of an avenue—the avenue to the house of my Father. Tell me I am only forced to climb because Thy house is on the hill! I shall receive no hurt from sorrow if I shall walk in the midst of the fire.

Some of the greatest lessons we will learn come from time spent with God in the fires of affliction and rejection. If your world seems to be spiraling down, look up! If the heartache seems too much for you to bear, pray and ask your heavenly Father to hold you close. He will, and this will make a beautiful difference in the way you view the trouble that is besieging your heart.

Pastor David J Butler