Breaking the Ice
By Cowboy Evangelist Rev. Joseph Holmes
H C Cowboy Ministries
Scripture focus "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." — Lamentations 3:22-23
Good mornin', friends and neighbors. I hope you’ve got your coffee hot and black, your chair pulled up close to the fire, and your Bible open as we sit down together and see what the Good Lord has for us on this cold January mornin'. You know, it's times like these when the frost is thick on the windows that we really need to lean into His Word and warm our souls a bit. Let's talk about breaking some ice today both out on the ranch and right here in our hearts.
Now, I don't know about where you're sitting this morning, but around here in Kentucky, these January days can be downright unforgiving. That alarm goes off when it's still darker than midnight, and the wind's howling like a pack of coyotes who just made a kill. An you knows its cold as all get out before you even get out of bed and you find yourself in one of those moments where you just wanna be buried deeper under them warm quilts for five more minutes? Yeah, me too. But we don't, do we? We push back the covers, slip on them thick wool socks, zip up the coveralls, and grab our gloves before heading out.
And why do we do that, folks? Well, let me tell you it's because we know that stock tank out there is frozen solid again. You can almost hear it calling your name, can't you? So you make your way over, to the stock tanks where the cattle are standing as they are waiting patient, but they're thirsty, and there's this thick layer of ice keeping them from the water.
Even though you know, you was out there just yesterday chopping away at it. Maybe you made a big ol' hole, three feet wide, cleared out all the slush did a real fine job of it. But come morning, that thermometer don't give a hoot about yesterday's work. The cold sneaks back in overnight, and it's all sealed up tight once more. So what do you do? You pick up your axe or that heavy spud bar, and you get after it. Until that fresh water starts flowing free. It's not a one and done thing it's a daily chore, plain and simple. You can't skip it just 'cause you're feeling tired, and you sure can't count on the hole from last week to still be there. No sir, it takes showing up every single day.
Now, friends, as I've been pondering this over my own cup of coffee, I've come to realize something important my heart freezes over a whole lot quicker than any stock tank I've ever tended to. And I bet yours does too, if we're being honest with each other. We live in a cold, cold world, don't we? I'm talking about the kind of chill that comes from all that bad news blaring on the television, the worry of paying them bills that keep piling up, and just the everyday wear and tear of life that grinds us down a little at a time. Before you know it, our hearts start getting hard around the edges. We find ourselves getting cynical about things, snapping at folks over nothing, or letting pride swell up like it owns the place. It doesn't happen with a big fanfare nah, it creeps in quiet-like, maybe while we're sleeping or just caught up in the busyness of the day-to-day.
Let me ask you something have you ever tried to get by on what I call a "Sunday faith"? You know what I mean: you go to church, have a powerful time in the Lord's presence, feel the Holy Spirit moving strong, and you think, "Alright, this warmth is gonna carry me right through the week." But then, come Wednesday or so, you're feeling spiritually dry as a bone, dehydrated in your soul because that ice has started settin in again. It's like trying to run a marathon on the breakfast you ate three days ago—it just don't work.
See, that's why this verse from Lamentations hits home for me today: "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." God's mercies aren't some leftover scraps from yesterday they're fresh-baked, brand new every single sunrise. And why? Because our need for them is just as fresh every day. You can't survive on the prayer you whispered yesterday, and you can't draw strength from the Scripture you skimmed last month. No, it's gotta be daily. Just like them thirsty cattle need you to break through that ice so they can drink deep, you've gotta break through the hardness in your own life with your packed schedule, your stubborn pride, all of it every day to get to that Livin' Water Jesus talks about.
I'm telling you, as a pastor who's walked a few miles in these boots, this ain't about some big, dramatic revival every once in a while. It's about the quiet faithfulness of showing up each morning, opening your Bible, bowing your head, and letting the Lord renew you right then and there. Maybe you're feeling that chill in your spirit even as we're talking a little distance from God, a bit of hardness creeping in. Well, don't ignore it. Let's address it together, right here.
Don't go trying to run on yesterday's fuel, my friend. If your spirit's feeling a tad cold today, let's do something about it. Grab hold of the "axe" of God's Word maybe start with this verse from Lamentations or wherever the Spirit leads you. Take a few minutes right now, before you get too far into your day, to break that ice. Talk to the Lord honestly, like you're sitting across the table from Him. Confess where you've been struggling, where life's gotten the best of you, and ask Him to warm up your heart afresh. Let His compassion flow in and get you ready for whatever's ahead. You might be surprised how much difference those few minutes make.
Lets Pray,
Lord, I thank You from the bottom of my heart that Your faithfulness is so great and Your mercies are new every single morning with no exceptions. I confess to You right now, and I know many listening might feel the same, that sometimes I try to coast along on yesterday's strength, and before I know it, my heart's gotten cold and hard like that frozen tank. Would You break through that ice this very morning, and Lord Fill me fresh with Your Holy Spirit. Keep me drawing close to the Livin' Water all day long, and help me to be a real blessing to the folks around me, my family, my neighbors, and whoever You put in my path. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
Now Let me leave you with this thought, friends. A fire in the fireplace won't keep you warm all winter long if you don't bother throwing a fresh log on it every morning. Same goes for your faith don't let it burn down to nothing. Keep it fed, keep it alive, and watch how the Lord uses it to light up your world. May God bless you and Keep you in his presence today.
“A cowboy who won’t bust ice in the cold won’t find water. Same goes for the cowboy that won’t seek God at sunrise.”
— Rev. Joseph Holmes, HC Cowboy Ministries
By Cowboy Evangelist Rev. Joseph Holmes
H C Cowboy Ministries
Scripture focus "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." — Lamentations 3:22-23
Good mornin', friends and neighbors. I hope you’ve got your coffee hot and black, your chair pulled up close to the fire, and your Bible open as we sit down together and see what the Good Lord has for us on this cold January mornin'. You know, it's times like these when the frost is thick on the windows that we really need to lean into His Word and warm our souls a bit. Let's talk about breaking some ice today both out on the ranch and right here in our hearts.
Now, I don't know about where you're sitting this morning, but around here in Kentucky, these January days can be downright unforgiving. That alarm goes off when it's still darker than midnight, and the wind's howling like a pack of coyotes who just made a kill. An you knows its cold as all get out before you even get out of bed and you find yourself in one of those moments where you just wanna be buried deeper under them warm quilts for five more minutes? Yeah, me too. But we don't, do we? We push back the covers, slip on them thick wool socks, zip up the coveralls, and grab our gloves before heading out.
And why do we do that, folks? Well, let me tell you it's because we know that stock tank out there is frozen solid again. You can almost hear it calling your name, can't you? So you make your way over, to the stock tanks where the cattle are standing as they are waiting patient, but they're thirsty, and there's this thick layer of ice keeping them from the water.
Even though you know, you was out there just yesterday chopping away at it. Maybe you made a big ol' hole, three feet wide, cleared out all the slush did a real fine job of it. But come morning, that thermometer don't give a hoot about yesterday's work. The cold sneaks back in overnight, and it's all sealed up tight once more. So what do you do? You pick up your axe or that heavy spud bar, and you get after it. Until that fresh water starts flowing free. It's not a one and done thing it's a daily chore, plain and simple. You can't skip it just 'cause you're feeling tired, and you sure can't count on the hole from last week to still be there. No sir, it takes showing up every single day.
Now, friends, as I've been pondering this over my own cup of coffee, I've come to realize something important my heart freezes over a whole lot quicker than any stock tank I've ever tended to. And I bet yours does too, if we're being honest with each other. We live in a cold, cold world, don't we? I'm talking about the kind of chill that comes from all that bad news blaring on the television, the worry of paying them bills that keep piling up, and just the everyday wear and tear of life that grinds us down a little at a time. Before you know it, our hearts start getting hard around the edges. We find ourselves getting cynical about things, snapping at folks over nothing, or letting pride swell up like it owns the place. It doesn't happen with a big fanfare nah, it creeps in quiet-like, maybe while we're sleeping or just caught up in the busyness of the day-to-day.
Let me ask you something have you ever tried to get by on what I call a "Sunday faith"? You know what I mean: you go to church, have a powerful time in the Lord's presence, feel the Holy Spirit moving strong, and you think, "Alright, this warmth is gonna carry me right through the week." But then, come Wednesday or so, you're feeling spiritually dry as a bone, dehydrated in your soul because that ice has started settin in again. It's like trying to run a marathon on the breakfast you ate three days ago—it just don't work.
See, that's why this verse from Lamentations hits home for me today: "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." God's mercies aren't some leftover scraps from yesterday they're fresh-baked, brand new every single sunrise. And why? Because our need for them is just as fresh every day. You can't survive on the prayer you whispered yesterday, and you can't draw strength from the Scripture you skimmed last month. No, it's gotta be daily. Just like them thirsty cattle need you to break through that ice so they can drink deep, you've gotta break through the hardness in your own life with your packed schedule, your stubborn pride, all of it every day to get to that Livin' Water Jesus talks about.
I'm telling you, as a pastor who's walked a few miles in these boots, this ain't about some big, dramatic revival every once in a while. It's about the quiet faithfulness of showing up each morning, opening your Bible, bowing your head, and letting the Lord renew you right then and there. Maybe you're feeling that chill in your spirit even as we're talking a little distance from God, a bit of hardness creeping in. Well, don't ignore it. Let's address it together, right here.
Don't go trying to run on yesterday's fuel, my friend. If your spirit's feeling a tad cold today, let's do something about it. Grab hold of the "axe" of God's Word maybe start with this verse from Lamentations or wherever the Spirit leads you. Take a few minutes right now, before you get too far into your day, to break that ice. Talk to the Lord honestly, like you're sitting across the table from Him. Confess where you've been struggling, where life's gotten the best of you, and ask Him to warm up your heart afresh. Let His compassion flow in and get you ready for whatever's ahead. You might be surprised how much difference those few minutes make.
Lets Pray,
Lord, I thank You from the bottom of my heart that Your faithfulness is so great and Your mercies are new every single morning with no exceptions. I confess to You right now, and I know many listening might feel the same, that sometimes I try to coast along on yesterday's strength, and before I know it, my heart's gotten cold and hard like that frozen tank. Would You break through that ice this very morning, and Lord Fill me fresh with Your Holy Spirit. Keep me drawing close to the Livin' Water all day long, and help me to be a real blessing to the folks around me, my family, my neighbors, and whoever You put in my path. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
Now Let me leave you with this thought, friends. A fire in the fireplace won't keep you warm all winter long if you don't bother throwing a fresh log on it every morning. Same goes for your faith don't let it burn down to nothing. Keep it fed, keep it alive, and watch how the Lord uses it to light up your world. May God bless you and Keep you in his presence today.
“A cowboy who won’t bust ice in the cold won’t find water. Same goes for the cowboy that won’t seek God at sunrise.”
— Rev. Joseph Holmes, HC Cowboy Ministries
Breaking the Ice
By Cowboy Evangelist Rev. Joseph Holmes
H C Cowboy Ministries
Scripture focus "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." — Lamentations 3:22-23
Good mornin', friends and neighbors. I hope you’ve got your coffee hot and black, your chair pulled up close to the fire, and your Bible open as we sit down together and see what the Good Lord has for us on this cold January mornin'. You know, it's times like these when the frost is thick on the windows that we really need to lean into His Word and warm our souls a bit. Let's talk about breaking some ice today both out on the ranch and right here in our hearts.
Now, I don't know about where you're sitting this morning, but around here in Kentucky, these January days can be downright unforgiving. That alarm goes off when it's still darker than midnight, and the wind's howling like a pack of coyotes who just made a kill. An you knows its cold as all get out before you even get out of bed and you find yourself in one of those moments where you just wanna be buried deeper under them warm quilts for five more minutes? Yeah, me too. But we don't, do we? We push back the covers, slip on them thick wool socks, zip up the coveralls, and grab our gloves before heading out.
And why do we do that, folks? Well, let me tell you it's because we know that stock tank out there is frozen solid again. You can almost hear it calling your name, can't you? So you make your way over, to the stock tanks where the cattle are standing as they are waiting patient, but they're thirsty, and there's this thick layer of ice keeping them from the water.
Even though you know, you was out there just yesterday chopping away at it. Maybe you made a big ol' hole, three feet wide, cleared out all the slush did a real fine job of it. But come morning, that thermometer don't give a hoot about yesterday's work. The cold sneaks back in overnight, and it's all sealed up tight once more. So what do you do? You pick up your axe or that heavy spud bar, and you get after it. Until that fresh water starts flowing free. It's not a one and done thing it's a daily chore, plain and simple. You can't skip it just 'cause you're feeling tired, and you sure can't count on the hole from last week to still be there. No sir, it takes showing up every single day.
Now, friends, as I've been pondering this over my own cup of coffee, I've come to realize something important my heart freezes over a whole lot quicker than any stock tank I've ever tended to. And I bet yours does too, if we're being honest with each other. We live in a cold, cold world, don't we? I'm talking about the kind of chill that comes from all that bad news blaring on the television, the worry of paying them bills that keep piling up, and just the everyday wear and tear of life that grinds us down a little at a time. Before you know it, our hearts start getting hard around the edges. We find ourselves getting cynical about things, snapping at folks over nothing, or letting pride swell up like it owns the place. It doesn't happen with a big fanfare nah, it creeps in quiet-like, maybe while we're sleeping or just caught up in the busyness of the day-to-day.
Let me ask you something have you ever tried to get by on what I call a "Sunday faith"? You know what I mean: you go to church, have a powerful time in the Lord's presence, feel the Holy Spirit moving strong, and you think, "Alright, this warmth is gonna carry me right through the week." But then, come Wednesday or so, you're feeling spiritually dry as a bone, dehydrated in your soul because that ice has started settin in again. It's like trying to run a marathon on the breakfast you ate three days ago—it just don't work.
See, that's why this verse from Lamentations hits home for me today: "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." God's mercies aren't some leftover scraps from yesterday they're fresh-baked, brand new every single sunrise. And why? Because our need for them is just as fresh every day. You can't survive on the prayer you whispered yesterday, and you can't draw strength from the Scripture you skimmed last month. No, it's gotta be daily. Just like them thirsty cattle need you to break through that ice so they can drink deep, you've gotta break through the hardness in your own life with your packed schedule, your stubborn pride, all of it every day to get to that Livin' Water Jesus talks about.
I'm telling you, as a pastor who's walked a few miles in these boots, this ain't about some big, dramatic revival every once in a while. It's about the quiet faithfulness of showing up each morning, opening your Bible, bowing your head, and letting the Lord renew you right then and there. Maybe you're feeling that chill in your spirit even as we're talking a little distance from God, a bit of hardness creeping in. Well, don't ignore it. Let's address it together, right here.
Don't go trying to run on yesterday's fuel, my friend. If your spirit's feeling a tad cold today, let's do something about it. Grab hold of the "axe" of God's Word maybe start with this verse from Lamentations or wherever the Spirit leads you. Take a few minutes right now, before you get too far into your day, to break that ice. Talk to the Lord honestly, like you're sitting across the table from Him. Confess where you've been struggling, where life's gotten the best of you, and ask Him to warm up your heart afresh. Let His compassion flow in and get you ready for whatever's ahead. You might be surprised how much difference those few minutes make.
Lets Pray,
Lord, I thank You from the bottom of my heart that Your faithfulness is so great and Your mercies are new every single morning with no exceptions. I confess to You right now, and I know many listening might feel the same, that sometimes I try to coast along on yesterday's strength, and before I know it, my heart's gotten cold and hard like that frozen tank. Would You break through that ice this very morning, and Lord Fill me fresh with Your Holy Spirit. Keep me drawing close to the Livin' Water all day long, and help me to be a real blessing to the folks around me, my family, my neighbors, and whoever You put in my path. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
Now Let me leave you with this thought, friends. A fire in the fireplace won't keep you warm all winter long if you don't bother throwing a fresh log on it every morning. Same goes for your faith don't let it burn down to nothing. Keep it fed, keep it alive, and watch how the Lord uses it to light up your world. May God bless you and Keep you in his presence today.
“A cowboy who won’t bust ice in the cold won’t find water. Same goes for the cowboy that won’t seek God at sunrise.”
— Rev. Joseph Holmes, HC Cowboy Ministries
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