NorthStar Church Blog

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

Proverbs 16:24 (ESV)

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PEOPLE NEVER FORGET HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL

 

I’ve been a teacher for 13 years. I’ve taught kindergarten through 8th grade at any given point during those years. It has been a blessing to listen and engage with students.  I’ve been their voice of reason, their school mom, the one they vent to and even occasionally cry with.  I’ve listened as they have lost puppies, gone through break ups, dealt with mean girls, and even listened as some have struggled with their beliefs. Some days exhaustion hits, lessons need to be completed, and time runs out at the end of the period.  But, there is one thing I have repeatedly learned, being present is often the greatest and most impactful form of kindness to someone else.

 

A decade ago, a student of mine was having a rough day. He had his heart broken and the math lesson was the farthest thing from his cares that day. His face showed all the emotions he was going through. My heart said that I needed to stop and check on him, so I walked away from the board mid lesson.  I sat down beside him and just listened.  But, what he remembered the most was that I told him we weren’t going to let this steal his smile today.

 

Sometimes the most impactful thing you can do is deter from what your plan was, listen to what God is asking you to do, and show kindness before moving forward. That same student a decade later still remembered that tiny moment. When he saw me out he came up to me and told me what an impact those words had on him. He hadn’t forgotten how I paused to make him smile.

 

The Bible says, “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”As Christians, kindness should be who we are. We should show kindness in everything we do.  You never know how impactful such a small moment could be.

 

I pray as you take on this day that you stay unhurried and un-rushed. That you can show up with kindness in all the big and small moments headed your way. I pray your kindness makes a bigger impact that you can witness years later.

 

I pray as you walk through your day, in your highs and lows, that you can show kindness.  Be present, listen, show up in the moments that God needs you too.  Wearing a smile on your face in the midst of a battle just may be a shining example that inspires someone else.

 

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Kelly Skelton is a Georgia native, raised in the south on Jesus, Georgia football and sweet tea.  She is her husbands’ biggest fan and her two daughters’ loudest cheerleaders.  She recently published her first children’s book titled, But God Had a Plan.  She stays active in the Dallas area as a  photographer, videographer, writer, and middle school teacher.

 

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Colossians 3:14 (ESV)

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HOW DO YOU DEFINE KINDNESS?

 

For me, it is being present, being a listening ear, being a calm voice in the middle of someone’s storm. I think of small gestures, smiles and high fives.  I think of being the one who steps in when it feels like the world has turned its back. 

 

When I imagine kindness that Jesus showed as He walked the earth, I can’t help but picture a man with his hands constantly stretched out, a man that listened intently. I imagine a man that was judgement free as He helped and healed those He encountered.

 

One vivid image I have etched into my memory of kindness happened last summer. I watched as my mom  was given the gut-wrenching news that her breast cancer was back, and this time the prognosis was terminal. She had multiple tumors in her head, and her time here was more limited than we ever imagined. I stared at her  with tears streaming down my face as she lay stagnant in the dark hospital bed. The news of her prognosis was still washing over her, precious doctors and nurses continued to spill in and speak this overwhelming reality to her. All she did for those horrific hours was listen, soak it in and trust. She could have been filled with bitterness and anger.  She could have harvested resentment, lashed out or argued. After all, she’d already fought this fight and won just a few short years before.

But, she didn’t.  That’s not who she was and that was not who God was to her.

 

Instead, in those broken moments she spoke life into her nurses. She exuded joy, she smiled constantly, she inquired about her nurses’ lives.  With every shift change she started her kindness all over again.  She was fully invested in who they were, and less concerned with what she was going through. In those short days we spent in the hospital, my mom was the epitome of kindness to the crew that cared for her. She was a shining example of Jesus to them even in the midst of her darkest hours. After all, isn’t that what the Bible wants us to do? Are we ever really more like Jesus than when we are kind to others? You never know what impact a smile, small gesture, or kind words can have.

 

I pray as you walk through your day, in your highs and lows, that you can show kindness.  Be present, listen, show up in the moments that God needs you too.  Wearing a smile on your face in the midst of a battle just may be a shining example that inspires someone else.

 

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Kelly Skelton is a Georgia native, raised in the south on Jesus, Georgia football and sweet tea.  She is her husbands’ biggest fan and her two daughters’ loudest cheerleaders.  She recently published her first children’s book titled, But God Had a Plan.  She stays active in the Dallas area as a  photographer, videographer, writer, and middle school teacher.

 

¹⁵ When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶ He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

John 21:15-17 (ESV)

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DO YOU WANT TO BE RESTORED?

 

The story goes beyond what we covered on Sunday, but it was too good not to highlight. After breakfast, Jesus had a conversation with a still drenched Peter. I wonder if Peter was willing to jump out of the boat and swim as fast as he could to try and amend the mistakes he made before Jesus was crucified. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told Peter that he would deny Jesus three time before the day was over. Peter adamantly denied this and then tried to prove it by cutting a guard’s ear off as they arrested Jesus. Three times Peter was asked about his association with Jesus, and he protested every accusation.

 

He knew where Jesus was heading. He knew that Jesus had been arrested and would soon be beaten at the least. Peter’s denials maybe came from a place of fear of the unknown; but, nevertheless, he denied Christ three times.

 

When you jump back in our passage for this week it makes you wonder about Peter’s motives for swimming like Michael Phelps. Regardless of why he did it, he now is sitting with Jesus and a pivotal conversation takes place. Jesus publicly begins to restore Peter. He asks him three separate times “Do you love me?” It probably sounded like a broken record, but Jesus was trying to make a point. As many times as you denied me, I want to restore you.

 

Jesus could have asked Peter if he was sorry or he would promise to never deny him again, but instead he focuses in on the heart. Do you love me? Jesus knew that Peter’s life, decisions, and obedience would all be an overflow of his love for God.

 

This interaction between Jesus and Peter is a profound display of grace and restoration. Despite Peter’s failures and denials, Jesus meets him with love and offers him a chance to prove his commitment to Jesus. It’s a reminder for us that no matter how many times we stumble, Jesus is always ready to welcome us back with open arms and restore us to a place of closeness with Him.

 

I’ll leave you this week with a quote from Pastor Bruce Frank. “What you do when you sin tells everything about how you understand the good news of Jesus. Provision has been made your sin, so to run from healing and grace is foolishness. You either run from God in shame or run to God in repentance.”

 

Where will you choose to run today?

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their one year old, Emery. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

⁹ When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. ¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

John 21:9-14 (ESV)

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COME AND HAVE BREAKFAST

 

Jesus begins to have breakfast with his disciples, with whom he has shared life with for multiple years. They have had countless meals together, but the last recorded meal between the disciples and Jesus was the Last Supper. What a turn of events to remember Jesus telling them using the bread and wine that His body would be torn and that His blood would be poured out. And now, here they are a few weeks later, sharing fish and bread. Do they flashback to the feeding of the 5,000 or the Last Supper?

 

Throughout Scripture the phrase “come and _______” carries massive implications. Jesus extends many invitations: come and see (John 1:39), come and rest (Matthew 11:28-29), come and inherit (Matthew 25:34-36), and finally, in our passage today, come and have breakfast. (Personally, I know which of the above I would choose! Who wouldn’t want to share an All-Star Special with Jesus?)

 

Why is Jesus so caught up with the invitation ‘to come’? Because He is a relational God. Jesus came to the earth so we could come to God. These examples are just his direct commands to come to him. There are many more examples of calling each disciple, inviting the little children, and bringing in the outcast. None of the disciples questioned who this man was. They all knew by this point that it was Jesus resurrected.

 

Jesus is calling you today as well. Maybe you need the invitation to just come and dine with Him. Friend, there is a feast waiting for you in Heaven. Maybe you are looking for the invitation to come and inherit the kingdom. All you must do is put your trust in Jesus and turn from your sins and you will have an inheritance that this world could not touch. Maybe you are drawn to the invitation of rest. This isn’t an invitation to take a nap, but to allow Jesus to carry the burdens in life that you were not created to carry. Or, maybe today you are reading this and have not put your faith in Jesus. I would urge you to come and see. The disciples in John 1 who are given this original invitation, they would come to know that they “have found the Messiah” (John 1:40). Their seeing led to believing… and then the other invitations to “come” were open to them as well.

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their one year old, Emery. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

⁷ That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. ⁸ The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

John 21:7-8 (ESV)

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DO YOU RUN TO JESUS?

 

If you’ve been with us over the past few weeks, we have highlighted John’s playful relationship with Peter. In this verse, John (the disciple whom Jesus loved) gets another “one up” on Peter. Peter cut the guard’s ear off, Peter ran to the tomb (but John beat him in the race), and now they are looking at this man on the shore, and John wants us to know that he was the first to recognize Jesus. One more humble brag from the author of this gospel.

 

Here is where the story turns for Peter. He is always quick to speak, act, or react. In true Peter fashion, he sees all the fish in the boat and knows that it will take a while to get them into the boat and get back to shore, so he jumps in and swims to Jesus! The passage doesn’t tell us what Peter and Jesus talked about, but we know that Peter got extra time with his Lord.

 

Recalling the state he saw Jesus in weeks ago as he hung on the cross, Peter wanted as much time with Jesus because he knew that he had lost him a few weeks ago. For you, would you be willing to jump in? Do we look at Jesus the same way? Are we willing to inconvenience ourselves, our comfort, and our schedule to spend time with our Savior?

 

I pray that this past week since Easter has been filled with joy and a new perspective about Jesus. Peter’s time with Jesus had become much more valuable knowing that he had lost him. Jesus cannot be taken from us, but we should have the same joy and excitement to be with Him every day as much as we are on Resurrection Sunday!

 

As we reflect on Peter’s eagerness to be with Jesus, let’s consider our own eagerness to spend time with Him. May we be like Peter, ready to leap into the presence of our Lord at any opportunity, recognizing the immeasurable value of communion with Him in our daily lives.

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their one year old, Emery. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

⁴ Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶ He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.

John 21:4-6 (ESV)

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ILLOGICAL OBEDIENCE

 

These men are skilled fishermen. They have grown up on the water, making their living catching fish. They know every nuance of the trade; from the way the currents move to the subtle signs of a potential catch. Yet, for some reason, they followed this man’s advice. Simply by following him, they went from catching zero fish to not being able to haul all of the fish in.

 

This is a call back to when Jesus called the first set of disciples in Luke 5. Jesus asks if they have found any fish and they respond with a short “no.” I bet it was said with a cutting tone. “Who is this guy asking about our fish? Who does he think he is?” I almost hear Peter in this moment echoing his words in Luke 5:5, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!” You can hear the exhaustion in his voice, still feeling the emotions of all he had been through the past few weeks as he experienced his rabbi being crucified.

 

I wonder how reluctant they were to drop their net on the other side? “Sure, we’ll give it a shot, but nothing will come of it! Let’s just drop it in to show him there aren’t any fish.”

 

Sometimes the commands of Jesus make very little sense in the world we live in. With the pressure to get ahead by any means necessary, to do whatever makes your heart happy, and to prioritize ourselves over anything or anybody else, it can seem as if the commands of Jesus would set us back. Why is obedience important? We must remember that God is not just our Savior, but also our Creator. He designed us and knows how our body best thrives within the parameters of his design.

 

Proverbs 3:5-8 speaks to the wisdom of trusting the Lord:

⁵ “Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
⁷ Be not wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
⁸ It will be healing to your flesh
    and refreshment to your bones.”

 

Friends, my hope for you today is this: that we would seek God with all that we have and would see that He is worth it! That we would trust Him even above our own desires. Let’s lean on His wisdom, even when it seems counterintuitive, knowing that His ways lead to true fulfillment and life to the fullest.

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their one year old, Emery. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

¹After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. ² Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. ³ Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

John 21:1-3 (ESV)

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WHAT DO YOU DO WITH DISAPPOINTMENT?

 

We all face disappoint, don’t we? Think back to the Easter message… Mary Magdalene’s dreams were shattered, but in the garden, Jesus appeared to her. She wasn’t the only one at the tomb that day. John had seen enough; he believed. Peter, on the other hand, left the tomb that day unsure of what to do with his crucified rabbi.

 

After appearing to Mary Magdalene, Jesus appears to all the disciples in the room they were hiding inside. He appeared again to Thomas so that he might believe since he wasn’t in the room the first time. Up to this point, all the disciples had laid eyes on their resurrected rabbi; but how did they respond to seeing this risen Savior? Peter… he goes fishing. Not the reaction you’d expect. If I saw a dead person walking, I am finding a camera crew, putting my lucky numbers into the lottery, or preparing for the Walking Dead.

 

Why did Peter go fishing? I can’t say with one hundred percent certainty, but I believe there are two possible reasons: Either he is resorting back to his comfort and what was familiar, or he is unsure what his life will look like, so he gets to work to make a living.

 

Neither of these responses are inherently wrong; but, after walking with Jesus and listening to his teaching for three years, why would anybody revert to fishing? In John 20:21 Jesus sends the disciples out to share the good news of what he’s done, but Peter hangs his “gone fishing” sign on the door.

 

When you face disappointment, do you return to old habits or question God’s goodness? These are typical reactions. We may return to old sin habits, activities that aren’t helpful for our walk, or to try to muster all of our strength to be self-reliant and forget God.

 

Peter tried to take a hard moment in his life and fix it all with his hands when Jesus had already fixed the situation! Just last chapter, Jesus encourages them to Live Sent and breathes on them the Holy Spirit. There is no better solution than this!

 

It’s easy to sit on this side of Scripture and think “Peter, get it together! How could this be your response?” But think back in your life; how have you reacted when face with difficult moments? When life’s disappointments hit, do you return to your old ways of seeking comfort and relying on yourself?

 

I know that this can easily be my response, but it shouldn’t be so.

 

A famous pastor who faced many hardships in his life, Charles Spurgeon, once said this: “I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages.” Life can always bring difficulties, but I pray that the response of our church is to recognize that the waves of hardship should encourage us to cling closer to the rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ.

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their one year old, Emery. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

 

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

John 20:16 (NLT)

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JESUS CALLS US BY NAME

 

I am horrible with names! Thankfully, in my line of work I can get away with calling almost everyone “Coach,” but it’s not always that easy. There are all sorts of tricks to help you remember someone’s name when you meet them for the first time. The one that works best for me is to link their name to something or someone else. I have come up with some ridiculous things to help me remember names, but usually when I’m intentional about remembering a name it sticks.

 

There is power in hearing our names spoken aloud. According to seen.io, “being called by our name generally makes us feel recognized and valued, uplifting our mood and self-esteem.” Having a unique name that is usually said wrong, I can attest to that mood boost when I hear my name spoken aloud correctly.

 

Do you know that Jesus knows your name and calls you by it? In those moments where the sunrise hits you just right or the words to a song speak to you right where you are, those are some of the ways Jesus calls us by name. Mary was weeping and searching for Jesus, and it took just one thing to bring her to the reality of his presence – her name. As we discussed on Wednesday, he spoke her name, then sent her on Holy assignment.


He is doing that for us today. He calls you by name and gives you a Kingdom assignment prepared in advance for you and you alone. He’s calling you specifically to live sent in a unique way.

We may not audibly hear Jesus speak our name but if we lean in close, we will hear him in hundreds of other ways as he speaks to us through creation, music, his Word, and his children- our brothers and sisters in Christ.

After hearing her name Mary got and followed the instructions from Jesus. He is calling you too. Calling you to lean in, to trust him, to rely on him, to seek him first, to walk in the freedom that was blood bought and paid for on the cross. He is calling you by name to live sent!

 

PRAY

Jesus thank you for being a personal Savior that calls us by name. Thank you that you don’t leave it up to us to figure out what you are calling us to do for your Kingdom. We are your handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which you prepared for us in advance. Father, let us hear you when you call us, let us feel the nearness of your presence and be filled with your holy confidence to walk out in obedience your calling in our lives each and every day. In Jesus’ name I pray- Amen

 

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Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.

 

 

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away and I don’t know where they have put him.”

John 20:13 (NLT)

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JESUS IS THERE IN THE ROUTINE

 

Have you even been in a season where you felt like you couldn’t find Jesus? We know that He is always there, omnipresent at our side, but there are times when it feels like He is nowhere to be found.

 

Prayers come back empty, praises fall flat, time in The Word just feels like a bunch of words. What do you do? How do you respond when you’re doing all the “right” things, looking in all the right places for Jesus, but keep coming up empty handed?

I used to think these seasons were an indication that I needed to change it up, stop my Bible-in-a-year plan and start a topical devotion. Stop journaling and start reading more theology books. That maybe my quiet time had become too routine, and I was just checking boxes. So, a fresh plan would be the answer. I was wrong!


It took a couple years of completely getting off track for me to slow down long enough and hear the Lord tell me to stop changing what was working. Yes, routine can get, well routine, and it’s easy to check a box instead of lingering in the presence of Jesus- especially if you’re like me and enjoy crossing things off your list! But what He has taught me is to not stop looking for him in the places I know he has been most visible to me.

Mary was looking for Jesus in the exact spot she last saw him. She didn’t see the empty tomb and run to the next town to find him. She stayed put and didn’t stop searching for him until he revealed himself to her.


Wherever you meet with the Lord and feel His presence best – keep going to that place. In those times that He seems to have disappeared, lean in closer and don’t stop seeking after Him until you find Him.

PRAY

Jesus thank you that even in the times you feel far away we know you are still there. That no matter what we feel we can trust you are with us. Help us to faithfully push through the seasons of searching for you and give us renewed perseverance to lean in closer to you. Let us not rely on a feeling but a knowing- a knowing that you are always with us and let that be the fire that burns within us to be desperate for more of you. Fill us to overflowing with the joy and hope that only comes from you. In Jesus’ name- Amen

 

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Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.