Mike Ainsworth

When failure seems final

Peter's confident promise to never deny Jesus crumbled under pressure, leading to three devastating denials around a courtyard fire. Overwhelmed by regret and shame, Peter returned to his old life of fishing. But Jesus met him there with grace, recreating the scene of failure around a different fire - one surrounded by love instead of accusation. Through three gentle questions, Jesus restored Peter's identity and calling, proving that past failures don't disqualify us from God's purposes. When memories of our mistakes whisper lies about our worth, we can choose to run toward Jesus rather than away from him.

Your First Ministry

True transformation doesn't come from self-improvement or willpower, but from beholding God's glory with unveiled faces. Many believers live behind veils, hiding their struggles and putting on a church face while missing God's transforming presence. The veil is removed simply by turning to the Lord, not through religious effort. Your first ministry isn't to your family, but to God Himself - everything else flows from that relationship. Through the Holy Spirit, you can practice beholding God's glory by looking for Jesus in Scripture, listening for His voice, and seeing His glory. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom, and true transformation happens as you're changed into Christ's image with ever-increasing glory.

Behold The Lamb of God

Christmas offers us the opportunity to behold Jesus Christ and discover who He truly is. What you behold, you will become, making it crucial to fix our gaze on the Lord rather than worldly distractions. Jesus reveals Himself as three essential truths: the Shepherd King who leads with both power and gentleness, the Lamb of God who was slain for our sins, and the Bread of Life who sustains our souls. To behold Jesus requires three actions: looking to Him through repentance, seeing Him with spiritual perception, and listening for Him with expectation and patience. When we truly behold Christ, worship flows naturally from our revelation of who He is.

The Kings Table

God has prepared a table for His people where we find provision, protection, and presence. At this table, we experience both care and accountability in Christian community. The Israelites in Psalm 78 questioned God's ability to provide, revealing their unbelief through fear. When we face challenges, we must remember our table isn't found in circumstances but in our relationship with God. Jesus set this table through His sacrifice, becoming our bread of life and ultimate provider. God protects us not just from external enemies but from our own sin nature, and most remarkably, He protects us from His own consuming holiness. The greatest gift is that God Himself sits at our table, making us the dwelling place of His Spirit.

Overcoming Fear

Fear is one of the leading causes of discouragement. Fear takes you to places in your mind that without the help of the Holy Spirit we can get stuck there. The bible reminds us that the Lord has not given us a spirit of fear but of sound mind. As disciples of Jesus we are learning to walk by the Holy Spirit.