You know how you feel after a big awesome meal? That’s right, you feel like doing nothing because you are so full that all you want to do is sit and rest. Sometimes, in the same way, around Easter, we try to fill up on God so we have enough to last until Christmas. We try to squeeze it all in over one weekend and leave full and sleepy.

Hebrews 6:10

10 For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.

NLT

God will not forget about you, so I would encourage you not to forget about Him. Easter just passed and we tend to think more about God during this holiday than we may at other holidays. We think about what God and His son Jesus did for us and it makes us feel good and we even get excited as we are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Maybe you do not know God the way you would like to or maybe you do not understand some things about God, religion or Christians in general. I would encourage you to continue to get to know God a little better this year. I know that sometimes, after a holiday or a big event, we just want to sit down, rest, and take a nap because it is over and we want to get ready for whatever is coming next. Do not get tired or weary in getting to church or even spending a little time with God every day. You can make an effort to continue to go to church and that will give you a great opportunity to get to know God a little better. You may even find out things about God that you did not know before. You can also take a few minutes each day and just talk to God. Just start to have conversations with God and you will be amazed at what you start talking to Him about. It all starts with one church service or with one minute spent talking to God. I think the key word here would be to start. You cannot walk a mile without taking the first step.

Galatians 6:9

9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

NLT

Do not be satisfied with a little bit of God here and there. God is not a magic eight ball that we take out only when we need it and shake it and ask it questions about our lives. God wants to have a relationship with us. My wife loves me, but if I only talked to her when there was an emergency or crisis, then my relationship with her would deteriorate and be ruined. Since God loves us, then we need to communicate with Him so our relationship grows and gets better. Do not get tired of God or church; make an effort to get to know Him more this year.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church, 801 SE 10 St., Deerfield Beach, FL, 33441.www.CLFministries.org

Easter is coming very soon and many people will be pouring into churches to celebrate. What are we actually celebrating? Do we make it all about the Easter bunny and the candy? Don’t get me wrong. I like candy, probably a little too much. As a matter of fact, I even think that Easter candy is better than Halloween candy. Easter candy is the absolute best candy of all time, in my humble opinion, but it is not about the candy. God loves you so much that He sent His son.

John 3:16-17

16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life.

17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. NLT

God gave us all the wonderful gift of His son Jesus. Jesus did some amazing miracles while He was on the earth but, to me, the most amazing thing He did was the way He lived His life. Jesus lived a life without sin! Whenever I think about that, I cannot help but think “WOW.” I did not even make it through yesterday, let alone for my whole life. Jesus came and lived a sinless life.

Then He went to the cross to pay for my sins and your sins. Jesus deserved righteousness, but He took our place so His righteousness could be ours. Jesus took what I deserved so I could have what He deserved.

2 Corinthians 5:21

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. KJV

God loves us so much that He sent His son. The son loves us so much that He came. Jesus loves us so much that He suffered the pain of the cross to pay for our sins. We all know that the story does not end there because the Easter story is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The week before Easter is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Passion Week and, on Sunday, Jesus came because He had to finish what He started. We all may go through times where we feel unloved or feel like no one cares about us, but my prayer is that you will always remember how much God the Father loves you. Jesus had a hard time dealing with the fact that, in order for Him to go and pay for our sins, He would have to be separated from His father. Jesus did that for us so we would never have to experience being away and separated from God the Father. The Bible encourages us by telling us that God will never leave us or abandon us. I want to thank you, God, for the fact that you love us all so much that you gave your son. Have a great Easter.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church. 801 SE 10 St., Deerfield Beach, FL, 33441.www.CLFministries.org

James 5:13

13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.

NLT

No one is exempt from going through bad times, but please do not forget that we have many good times also. Whether everything is great or it totally stinks, God should always have our attention.

Last Sunday, when I went to church, I knew I was in for a great day. How could I not be? I was in God’s House, the “Happiest Place on Earth.” However, as I looked around at this happy place, I started to think. In this happy place, there was a crying child, a man who just lost a family member to cancer, a young woman going through a divorce and a preacher who felt each of their pain. I couldn’t help but think, even in God’s House, the happiest place on earth, there is still suffering and hurting people. Check out Psalms Chapter 20 (Awesome)

Psalms 20

1 In times of trouble, may the LORD respond to your cry. May the God of Israel keep you safe from all harm.

2 May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem.

3 May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings.

4 May he grant your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans.

5 May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory, flying banners to honor our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers.

6 Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power.

7 Some nations boast of their armies and weapons, but we boast in the LORD our God.

8 Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.

9 Give victory to our king, O LORD! Respond to our cry for help.

NLT

For some, our happiest place is with our family and friends, or taking a walk on the beach. We cannot escape suffering; no matter how hard we try we are not exempt.

Sometimes, suffering is used for correcting; sometimes, it is used for God’s glory; sometimes, it is used to build our character and, sometimes, one person suffers for another’s benefit.

Yet, there are times when we really don’t understand why others or we ourselves are suffering. Like Job from the Bible, we must seek to trust God and endure because we win when we do! We have a happy place found in the presence of the Lord. If God could hear Jonah’s cry from inside the whale, then I am sure he can hear your cry. One thing is for sure: if we are suffering in any way, then we should be praying and talking to God a lot. What do you think?

Perhaps, you are in a season of hurt or suffering right now. In this moment, it may not be clear why your suffering is happening. Your role in this season is to spend time with and reach out to God, knowing that He will help you through this trial with His strength. In this way, at the end of the day, you will be able to rejoice in who God is.

James 5:13 says we should pray and praise God during the good times and the bad times. In good or bad times, we’d better be spending time with God. Try happiness; it is found in the presence of the Lord.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church, 801 SE 10 St.,Deerfield Beach, 33441. www.CLFministries.org

JEREMIAH 29:11

11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

NLT

God has a plan for you and He wants to help you and give you hope. We all plan and build our lives around things. We plan around all of our extracurricular activities: dinner, dancing, sporting events, gym, golf, tennis, etc. We plan for death by making a will to make sure everything goes to the right place. We plan for our vacation by making sure we know where we are staying and what activities we will be doing. We even plan the times we are going to certain places and what rides we want to go on in the amusement park. When we get ready to build something, we get a set of blueprints or plans done to know what we want to accomplish. There is even a plan for the plumbing, the electrical and for the walls.

God has a plan for you because He loves you and cares about you. God wants you to be blessed and happy. If God has a plan for you, because of His love for you, then make sure you do the same for those you love. Valentine’s Day is here and I want to encourage you to plan a special day because of the love you have for others in your life. We plan so many things in our lives that we need to make sure we have a plan to make Valentine’s Day special and memorable. It is that time of the year when we can let those who are special to us know exactly how we feel. Valentine’s Day is not only about romance, but it is also about love. Love comes in many different forms in our lives and we usually use it for not so important things. I could say that I love my wife, my children, my parents, going to church, eating out, buying electronics and my job. That would actually mean something a little different for each one on my list, but we all tend to use the word “LOVE” for many different things. Let’s all show those who are special to us how much they mean to us by telling them we love them and also telling them why. I know sometimes it is hard to express our emotions, but it is OK; it is Valentine’s Day, after all.

Just do it, and make a plan to go buy your cards, candy and flowers (today) ahead of time, and do not wait until the last minute. Plan now and make sure those people in your life know that you love them and make sure they know why you love them. Let God be our example and plan for those we love the same way He has a plan for us. The plan doesn’t work if you don’t work the plan. God has a plan for your life and now you have a plan to follow God and to tell others that you love them.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church, Weekend Services are on Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m.

It is a new year and that is always a good time for us to evaluate our lives and all the things we like and do not like that is a part of our lives. I am so grateful that God loves me enough to allow me to start over whenever I mess up and make a mistake. With God, I do not have to wait until New Years Eve to start over or to start something new in my life. God allows me to start new every morning if need be. Some things in life we want to (or need to) change are easy and we have no problem at all making the change. However, we all know that there are some things in life that are very difficult to change in our lives. Some things in life feel like we have been struggling with for years but we can do it. God will give us the help we need to become victorious over things that we may tend to struggle with and have a hard time changing.

Philippians 4:13

13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. NLT

If I can encourage you to do anything different this year, it would be to go to church, to read your Bible, and to pray and talk to God. If you already do those things, then, I want to encourage you to do those things a little more and also, at the same time, encourage someone else to join you. I know, at times, we do not like change; but, I think that change can be exciting and fun.

We are very thrilled about changes at our church starting in January. Right now, we have church services on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. and we are adding a new service on Saturday nights at 6:30 p.m. Many people have to work on Sundays now, so we wanted to have an alternative in our weekend services for people to choose from. We are also delighted to be adding home group Bible studies during the week for our members to be able to have an opportunity to discuss topics from the weekend services and to connect with other church members by building trusting relationships. It is always exciting when God adds something to your life, and I am looking forward to starting our Saturday night services. This Saturday will be our very first service we are having. We are very thrilled to meet new people and to have a great experience with God, and have Him change lives, help people with hurts and to introduce the God I know to some people who maybe do not know Him.

Please pray for us as we pray for you. I want to pray the following Bible verse over your life and I believe that, with God’s help, you can do the things you know you need to do, and have wanted to do in your life.

Ephesians 3:16

16 I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources, He will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. NLT

Tony Guadagnino is pastor at the Christian Love Fellowship Church in Deerfield Beach.

Clergy Corner: 1 CHRONICLES 28:9

9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.

NKJV

Loyalty of heart and willingness of mind is essential for faithful, effective service.

God should have first place in your lives and consume all your thoughts. With the mind of Christ, we should have control over our thoughts and those thoughts should match what the Bible says. We serve God, and we give Him everything we have and then the holidays come. Thanksgiving and Christmas come around, and we do things that we do not normally do:

• We eat in large groups and/or with family.

• We give cards.

• We give gifts.

• We act more hospitable with others.

• We go to church more.

• We give time and money to people in need.

• We focus more on our military and those serving overseas.

These things we do need to be part of our lifestyle and not just part of a holiday tradition. Do not allow traditions to affect the things you do and say – be yourself. God blesses us with many different things throughout our lives.

• God gives us power, love and a sound mind.

• God gives us control over our flesh and soul.

• God gives us the ability to have good judgment.

• God gives us the ability to have a disciplined life.

• God gives us the ability to make the right decisions.

• God gives us _____. (Fill in your own answer)

However, we choose what we are going to do with those gifts and blessings and we choose what kind of life we will live. Society and traditions try to tell us how to live our lives around the holidays and even how to celebrate our holidays. We need to be ourselves and serve the God that we love by living this Christmas lifestyle all year round.

Don’t allow people or circumstances in your life to break your holiday spirit and steal your joy. The words that come out of our mouths show what is in our hearts, and our actions will speak even louder than our words. The things we do and say show the kind of lifestyle that we have. Don’t become what the pressures of life want to mold you into, but rather become a person full of joy and peace all year round. Then, it is not just a holiday thing; it is a lifestyle thing. When we do things the way God wants and not by our own way, then those changes become more permanent. Why change the way you act and behave like the seasons change? Just be the same happy, joyful, peaceful, giving person all year long. Then, you will not have to change around the holidays to fit in.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

The holiday season is officially here! Thanksgiving is two weeks away, and it is the time when we are to reflect on all the things we are most thankful for. It is a time of friends and family getting together (eating, of course) and giving thanks. I believe that the Bible and history can speak for themselves on this subject. I want to share with you a quote. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln said, “We often forget the Source from which the blessings of fruitful years and healthful skies come… No human wisdom hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God … I, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States … to observe the last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.” The Bible has a lot to say about giving thanks and being thankful. What better source for us to turn to today. Let me share just a few scriptures on being thankful.

PSALMS 136:26

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever.

NLT

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18

16 Always be joyful.

17 Never stop praying.

18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

NLT

Thankfulness is an attitude. It is a condition of the heart. When we are truly grateful that should allow us to be happy, not just once a year at Thanksgiving, but all year long. If we are going to have an attitude of being thankful, then it must be something that we do all year long, not just one or two days out of the year. When we can do that, it will show in a joy that is very evident to ourselves and to others as well.

PHILIPPIANS 4:4

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again Rejoice! We all have things that go wrong in our lives every day. If we learn to focus on the things we are thankful for, and not all the negative things in our lives, then we can begin to learn to be truly happy and content. This is something that should actually show in our outward actions and attitudes. God has blessed us and given us so many things to be thankful for that we should be full of joy and peace every day. Remember the things that God has saved you from and do not live in the past. Our everyday lives should show that we are thankful and grateful for all God has done for us. As you celebrate Thanksgiving this year, remember the original spirit of the oldest of all American holidays — gratefulness to God. In the middle of all the hustle and bustle, take time to give thanks and praise to God for all the wonderful things in your life. Be happy!

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

It is absolutely incredible to see how much money, time, energy and effort we spend just to look good and feel good about ourselves.

We tend to spend a lot of time and money trying to take care of our physical bodies and get healthy or even to stay healthy. In the United States, we spend $20 billion a year in the weight loss industry alone. This includes diet books, diet drugs and weight loss surgeries. There are 108 million people on diets in the United States every year, and they average four to five diet attempts each year. Eight-five percent of the customers in the weight loss industry are female. Anyone who has lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for five years will spend one hour every day on exercise. In 2009, in the United States, 220,000 people with morbid obesity had bariatric surgery, which reduces the size of the stomach, with the cost averaging $11,500 to $26,000. It is amazing the things we go through just to look better and, of course, ultimately feel better. Do not get me wrong, please; I am very happy that U.S. consumers have become more health conscious in the way they eat and exercise.

1 TIMOTHY 4:7-8

7 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.

8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

NLT

We may try to fix the outside but if we don’t fix the inside we will never truly be happy and full of joy.

The Bible tells us that physical exercise is good, but spiritual exercise is better. It is a good thing to take better care of our physical bodies and to get in shape and make better eating choices, but we also need to make sure that we are not neglecting our spiritual life in the process.

MATTHEW

16:25-26

25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?

NLT

There are many ways to take care of your spiritual life. You need to read your Bible every day because this will help you understand who God is, and what He wants you to do with your life and what He wants to do for your life. You need to pray and talk to God every day as though He was your best friend. Talk to God about everything that is going on in your life, even though He already knows. He will enjoy talking with you. You need to go to church and have corporate worship with others; that way you can encourage someone when they need a friend, and someone can encourage you when you need it. Make sure you take care of your body, but, even more importantly, make sure you take care of your spiritual life. God Bless.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor of Christian Love Fellowship Church.

Sources: John LaRosa of MarketData; National Weight Control Registry; American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery; Jo Piazza, author of “Celebrity Inc.: How Famous People Make Money;” http:// abcnews.go.com/Health/ 100-million-dieters-20-billion- weight-loss-industry/ story?id=16297197

Do you remember where you were? Do you remember what you were doing? Well, I sure do remember exactly where and when! I was driving to work on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. I remember because I was a little late to work that day and I was still in the car when the reports starting coming over the radio. I remember because at first I thought it was one of those radio pranks that the radio announcers play from time to time, although I thought this one was a little wild and cruel. I remember thinking it had to be a joke because there is no way this could actually be happening … no way could it be happening to the good old United States of America on our own soil. We need to make sure that we never ever forget what happened that day.

The word “remember” is in the King James version of the Bible 148 times. There are things in the Bible that God wanted us to always remember and never forget. There are things that God thought were important for us to store in our memory banks and never let them leave. God wants us to remember His teachings from the Holy Bible.

2 Peter 3:2

2 I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.

NLT

2 Kings 17:38-39

38 Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods.

39 You must worship only the Lord your God. He is the one who will rescue you from all your enemies.”

NLT

It has been 12 years now and we need to make sure we remember that we as a united country turned to God in our time of need and He brought us comfort. I remember all the members of Congress standing on the capitol steps and praying to God for help. I remember seeing men and women risk their own lives to try and save those who were in the middle of those disasters with no fear. I remember our enemy trying to scare us and intimidate us on our own soil, in our very own country. I remember a great country and a great people rising up together and turning to God for help. With God’s help (because we asked for it), we rose above what our enemy tried to do to us. I even remember feeling anger when we went to New York City the following year to visit family and being able to see the two holes in the ground that were left.

Please do not ever forget the tragedy that happened that day. Do not forget the lives that were taken in those horrible events. Do not forget the lives that were given by our civil servants. Do not forget that God helped us through that horrible time and allowed us to begin to heal. Remember and pray for those that who lost lives and also for those who gave their lives to help others.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship church.

If you are tired, can’t deal with the pressure any longer, are sick of the direction your life has taken, then God is speaking to you today.

Just picture the prodigal son who was at the very lowest depths of despair, yet somehow heard the voice that told him “Go home.” When the son arrived, he found a father not ready to punish him, but to love him. He found a father not ready to reprimand him, but to reinstate him. God is waiting for you today with outstretched arms of love, simply saying to you this day… “Come home.”

2 Thessalonians 3:13

And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. NIV

Don’t grow weary doing what is right. Do what God tells you to do. Do not waste time worrying about what someone else thinks because, if you do, eventually, they will wear you down. When you are tired and worn out, you are more likely to slip and stumble, give in to temptation and make mistakes. Do not grow weary or lose heart.

Galatians 6:9

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. NLT

Are you tired of running, tired of hurting and just plain tired of being tired? There is an answer! There is a way! God is calling you right now to simply “Come home to Him.” The problems don’t go away, and the consequences of your actions don’t magically disappear. But by coming home, you start to deal with the issues, put them behind you, and become restored into fellowship with your God who loves you. Then, slowly, you will see the joy, the peace and the happiness return to your life. Do not ever quit, do not ever give up, and do not ever give in.

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. NIV

Sometimes we do not even realize how much rest we need until we actually take some time to rest and reenergize our bodies and minds. Vacation sure does the body good, but don’t forget the one who wants to give us rest. God can charge you up no matter what has drained you – and he is the only one who can do that. Be sure to spend time with God. We can do that by going to church, praying (just talking to God), reading the Bible, and by singing worship songs and hymns. We can talk to God, read the Bible, or sing anytime and anywhere we want.

There is also one other thing that I have found that helps me to recharge. That one thing is to help other people in a time of need. It not only brings great joy to your life, but it also brings you a new energy that you did not have before. We can create an environment for ourselves to recharge anywhere and time we need. So remember to keep your batteries charged so you can keep going.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.