A & M Lazer Gifts.

06/19/2026

Good morning brother,

‭‭Read Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭35‬-‭45‬ ‭
https://bible.com/bible/114/mrk.10.35-45.NKJV

Focal Verse:
“They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭37‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“”Greatest Of All Time—

Although I can't remember the particulars, I'm sure the first time I heard someone called "the GOAT, the subject was basketball. The epithet at first sounds bizarre. Why would anyone want to be a basketball goat? As an acronym for the "Greatest of All Time," the term is convenient, whether discussing basketball, music, soccer teams, or eating hot dogs.

Our culture fosters a love of admiration and power. People want to be great, but this desire isn't new or specific to our era. James and John each wanted to be great, and the other disciples also wanted the same status. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so angry with the sons of Zebedee.

Jesus didn't simply rebuke them; He redirected their aspirations. The status they sought only came through sac-rifice. What they needed to seek was Christ-like greatness — not power or admiration but service, specifically the type of service that arises out of sacrificial love.

The desire to be great is fine, but only if we focus our goals on benefiting others. The question to ask is, "What opportunities to serve has God placed in front of me?”

Father, thank You for sending Your Son to give His life for me. Please grant me eyes to see how I can serve.””

—Open Windows, Friday, June 19.

Sent with the sacrificial love of Christ Jesus!

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Grant u

06/18/2026

Good morning brother,

Please read:
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/111/2co.4.16-18.NIV
Also read:
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/111/2co.5.1-5.NIV

Focal Verse:

“Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭5‬ ‭

“”God Paid A Wonderful Down Payment
For Us—

Down payments... earnest money... a deposit... these things have become so ingrained in our culture that we can no longer imagine going through life without them. If you want to buy a new car, you have to make a down payment. Wanting to buy a house? You better have some earnest money ready. If you don't have the entire amount saved up for buying less-expensive things, you may be required to give the seller a deposit to hold it for you. Forking over the down payment, earnest money, or a deposit gives the lender or seller assurance that you will follow through with the rest of the money to complete the purchase or repay the loan. It hasn't always been this way.
Once upon a time, a person's word and a handshake were good enough to hold the item being sold

When I say that it hasn't always been this way, l am referring to human society. God actually established the idea a little over 2,000 years ago when He gave us the Holy Spirit. He had been giving His Word of salvation for more than 4,000 years, but it was misunderstood or ignored. When Jesus ascended, He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in the hearts of believers as a promise —as a down payment, as earnest money, as a deposit — until the fulfillment of the second coming, when we can exchange our earthly bodies for our resurrected ones. God knew that life can be hard. He knew of the trials and tribulations we would face. He knew we would groan under the weight of them, so He gave us this hope and this promise to hold on to: the coming everlasting existence with Him in eternity. Hold fast to this promise and stand firm in the Lord!

Lord, thank You for the down payment of the Holy Spirit. May I cling to Him when my heart groans.””

—Stand Firm, Thursday, June 18.

Sent with the love of Jesus Christ!

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far

06/17/2026

Good morning brother,

““I love each of you with the same love that the Father loves me. You must continually let my love nourish your hearts. If you keep my commands, you will live in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands, for I continually live nourished and empowered by his love. My purpose for telling you these things is so that the joy that I experience will fill your hearts with overflowing gladness!”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭TPT‬‬

“”Keep God’s Commands—

I remember watching a documentary about plant life in the forest. Every single plant seemed to be on a race to reach the sun. The ferns were the early leaders in this desperate sun-worshiping frenzy. They immediately raced ahead of everything else. But, unfortunately for them, their ceiling — or cap — was soon reached and other plants began to pass them by. All of them ran their own race. And all of them eventually reached their cap. But the slowest to grow — the redwood tree - eventually grew and reached majestic heights way above the forest floor and far above any other plant in the race. They reached a height unimaginable to the ferns, which were not even in the race any longer. In fact, the ferns died quickly and came to nothing. But the redwoods stood for years and years, watching many ferns and other plants rise and fall.

John's words in today's passage seem to run in loops or rings, much like the rings in the trunk of a huge redwood tree. The epicenter, or bull's eye, is the command: "Keep My commands." That is the heartbeat of it all — obedience to our heavenly Father's commands. And yet it is the outer rings that make this possible. At the beginning of verse 9 and the end of verse 10, we see reference to the Father's love for our Lord Jesus. Next, one ring closer to the middle in these verses, we read of Jesus' love for us. Finally, in the middle, Jesus calls us to remain in His love. Why? Because that is what makes it possible for us to keep our Father's commands. When we don't remain in Jesus' love, we find ourselves unable to keep God's commands and unable to remain where He desires for us to be - with Him in the very center of our lives.

Father, thank You for Your love for me. Help me to remain in Your love and keep Your commands.””

—Stand Firm, Wednesday, June 17.

Sent with the forever lasting love of Jesus!

06/16/2026

Good morning brother,

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“”The Unconditional Love of God—

New believers may find it difficult to accept that God loves them just as they are. After all, much of the world operates by conditional love, which offers approval and acceptance on the basis of performance. So when we first come to Christ, there is often a natural tendency to assume we must strive to "earn" blessings.

Divine love can never be gained by human effort. There's nothing we can do to make our Father love us more. Nor can we do anything to make Him stop loving us
(“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
‭Rom. 8:38-39).

No matter what has occurred in your past
or what you're struggling with right now, God's love is freely given to you. Our heavenly Father pours His love upon us without exception. It's not as if He postponed loving you until the moment you invited Him into your life. In truth, the Lord never began to love you at all; He always has. From the creation of the world, God knew you and loved you
(“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭13‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬;
Eph. 1:4-5 “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”).

Rejoice in the Father's love. Experience His peace instead of focusing only on what-ifs, and embrace a life characterized by purpose rather than fear. It's available as soon as you prayerfully open your arms to His unconditional love.

Father, thank You for Your loving kindness and peace and for choosing me before I was even born.””

—Stand Firm, Tuesday, June 16.

Sent with the love of Jesus!

06/15/2026

Good morning brother,

“As Jesus left Capernaum he came upon a tax-collecting station, where a Jewish man named Matthew was collecting taxes for the Romans. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said to him. Immediately Matthew jumped up and began to follow Jesus. Jesus went to Matthew’s house and made himself at home. Many other tax collectors and outcasts of society were invited to eat with Jesus and his disciples. When those known as the Pharisees saw what was happening, they were indignant, and they kept asking Jesus’ disciples, “Why would your Master dine with such lowlifes?” When Jesus overheard this, he spoke up and said, “Healthy people don’t need to see a doctor, but the sick will go for treatment.” Then he added, “Now you should go and study the meaning of the verse: I want you to show mercy, not just offer me a sacrifice. For I have come to invite the outcasts of society and sinners, not those who think they are already on the right path.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭TPT‬‬

“”Thank God For His Mercy—

Mercy is something that we all like to receive but many struggle to give. As boys, we loved to play the game called "Mercy" where two people grabbed hands and tried to twist the other's fingers until he cried, "Mercy!" We quickly learned that mercyis an important word when you are on the losing side. Without mercy we stand no chance of having a relationship with God because we are on the losing side spiritually. Yet we often struggle to have eyes of mercy when relating to others. This reality is never so clear as it is in the call of Matthew in today's passage.

In today's passage, Jesus was continuing to pick His team of men who would carry the gospel forward once His time on earth was finished. We all know He didn't pick the best or most polished men when doing so. He chose everyday men who didn't have much to offer from an earthly point of view. One of those men was a hated tax collector named Matthew. Tax collectors were known for taking advantage of others and were often quite wealthy because of the large profit made from their business. Obviously, the religious people of the day hated them and saw them as sinners. But religion without a relationship blinds individuals to their need for grace and mercy. The Pharisees were so blinded by their own sins in the name of religion that they could not see they were no better off than Matthew and his fellow tax collectors. All the religion in the world is worthless without mercy. Likewise, far too many faithful churchgoers are so blinded by their faithfulness to religion that they cannot see their own need for the same kind of mercy the addict living on the street needs. The man of God is a man who has been changed by the mercy of God. Thankfully, when we call out "mercy" to God, He instantly showers us with it. If you have received God's mercy, make sure you show the same mercy to others.

God, thank You for Your great mercy. Please help me to show it to others.””

—Stand Firm, Monday, June 15.

Sent with the Merciful love of Christ Jesus!

06/14/2026

Good Sunday morning brother,

“In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“”Unlimited Compassion—

Focal verse: I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat. - Mark 8:2

Mark recorded the miracles of Jesus, 18 in total - 13 in the first seven chapters, and a 14th here. The feeding of the 4,000 was very similar to the feeding of the 5,000 in chapter six. Yet Jesus Himself referred to them as two separate events in (“When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.””
‭‭Mark 8:19-20) and (“Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.”
‭‭Matthew 15:32-39.)

Jesus rarely used His own words to describe His feel-ings. In fact, this is the only time Jesus spoke of His own compassion toward a group of people. Recall who was in this crowd: Jesus was in Gentile territory, and while some Jews may have been present, the majority were idol worshipers and pagans. But they knew of Jesus and went out to a desolate place to listen to Him. Jesus has compassion on the undeserving as much now as then. Our pasts do not define us, but Jesus' compassion does — a love too great to be limited to what we deserve.

The crowd was eager to hear Jesus' teachings, though they had no food. This crowd stuck it out even as their bellies rumbled. May we have listening hearts hungry for a word from God.

Father, forgive me when I don't cherish my time with You. Create in me a new heart, open to Your direction.””

—Open Windows, Sunday, June 14.

Sent with the compassionate love of Jesus!

06/13/2026

Good morning brother,

“After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. [If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”] When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭NASB

“And He *said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭7‬:‭18‬-‭23‬ ‭NASB

“”Heart Problems—

Jesus and His disciples didn't live according to the Pharisees' man-made traditions (“(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders;”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭7‬:‭3). The Pharisees believed that by avoiding unclean foods, contact with the dead or lepers, and entering Gentile homes, they could keep themselves free from sin. To them, sin was out there somewhere.

Jesus contradicted their way of thinking, saying that what truly defines a person is not what enters the body but what comes from the heart. The "heart" includes your soul, spirit, mind, and will — who you really are. It designates the depths of the inner you, the part of you that thinks, wills, loves, plans, and desires. We, too, are tempted to see the source of our sin as something outside of us instead of something within us. Our nature is to try and justify our-selves. Jesus makes it clear there is nothing we can do to make ourselves clean. Instead, our hearts need to be radically transformed by the grace and love of God.

We are not just tainted with the pollution of sin. We are saturated in it. The world says we are what we do. Jesus says we do what we are. Our actions, words, and decisions reflect our heart. Only Jesus can save us and give us new hearts.

Father, transform my sinful heart so that I desire to know and love You. Help me reflect You to the world.””

—Open Windows, Saturday, June 13.

Sent with the love of Jesus!

06/12/2026

Good morning brother,

“Give generously and generous gifts will be given back to you, shaken down to make room for more. Abundant gifts will pour out upon you with such an overflowing measure that it will run over the top! The measurement of your generosity becomes the measurement of your return.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭38‬ ‭TPT‬‬

“”God Gives Enough For Us To Share
With Others—

Jesus' teachings were full of challenges. He had a way of bringing up things that made His listeners not only think about, but feel, the need for change. Today's passage comes in a series of challenges that were counter-intuitive to His listeners. Do you feel the struggle in His statement? Jesus gave to others all that He had with the full understanding that His Father would take care of His needs. He wanted His followers to know the same was true for them. To truly know this, however, they would have to act on the challenge. The same is true for godly men today.


When I felt the call to my current ministry, God provided a few people to support my position financially. Last month the bank for one of our monthly supporters had a technical error and I received two checks. I did not cash the second check but called to report it to my friend and supporter. He affirmed that it was a mistake but told me to go ahead and deposit the additional check for the next month. The check was for $2,000, and that is significant. The next morning as I was meeting with the Lord, I received an email from one of our ministry's missionaries reporting that he was feeling led to buy a motorcycle for his children who were serving in Uganda. They were making daily trips on foot to get supplies and water for their village. He was asking for help and the amount needed was $2,000. I paused for a moment as the Spirit made the connection, and then I asked the Lord if I needed to give next month's salary money for this need. My eyes glanced down to the bottom of the page of my journal and today's verse was there. I sent the money immediately. One week later, I returned from a trip and there were three unexpected checks on my desk. They totaled nearly $4,000.1 knew my gift had returned "pressed down, shaken together, and running over."

Lord, give me strength to give with faith in You as my Provider.””

—Stand Firm, Friday, June 12.

Sent with the generous love of Jesus!

06/11/2026

Good morning brother,

“Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct. Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 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. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭7‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“”Don’t Compare Your Spiritual Journey
To Others—

For the past few months, I've been meeting with more than a dozen men to create some discipleship and mentoring relationships. My goal is to get them to take their spiritual leadership in their families to the next level. These conversations have been honest — and surprising. I often associate the comparison game to relationships among women, but I have discovered that men play the same game; we just engage on a different playing field. Where women tend to compare looks, guys tend to compare abilities. This has become glaringly evident as I have talked to guys about their ability to lead their families spiritually. They don't think they have enough knowledge about God or the Bible. They compare themselves to other men who seem to be doing a better job at leading their families. They are intimidated by being in a Bible study with other men they deem more spiritually mature and assume have more knowledge about the Bible.

Galatians 6 gives us some great instructions on relating to one another in our spiritual journeys. We are called to carry each other's burdens, restore one another, and share our stories. Right in the middle of this, we are warned against comparing our spiritual growth against others. While we are encouraged to examine ourselves, we are also instructed to be careful not to use the measuring stick of others' progress against our own. When I play the comparison game with others, the enemy gets a foothold in my thought life, and I can quickly become discouraged. Jesus met people where they were. He was patient with people, yet sought to help move them forward. Comparison discourages and sends us backward in our growth. It distracts us from moving forward and isolates us from the growth we can discover from others' successes. Run the race set before you, not the one set before others!

God, help me not to compare my spiritual journey to that of others.””

—Stand Firm, Thursday, June 11.

Sent with the love of Christ Jesus!

06/10/2026

Good morning brother,

“Afterward, Jesus left Capernaum and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. On the Sabbath, he went to teach in the synagogue. Everyone who heard his teaching was overwhelmed with astonishment. They said among themselves, “What incredible wisdom has been given to him! Where did he receive such profound insights? And what mighty miracles flow through his hands! Isn’t this Mary’s son, the carpenter, the brother of Jacob, Joseph, Judah, and Simon? And don’t his sisters all live here in Nazareth?” And they took offense at him.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭

“Jesus said to them, “A prophet is treated with honor everywhere except in his own hometown, among his relatives, and in his own house.” He was unable to do any great miracle in Nazareth, except to heal a few sick people by laying his hands upon them. He was amazed at the depth of their unbelief! Then Jesus went out into the different villages and taught the people.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭6‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭TPT‬‬

“”More Than A Carpenter—

Jesus went home to Nazareth for the purpose of proclaiming the gospel and giving His disciples a peek at the power of unbelief. Jesus had left Nazareth a private individual. He returned a public figure, a rabbi with disciples. When He taught in the synagogue, His wisdom was undeniable.

Undoubtedly, the people had questions. They had known Jesus since He was a kid. It was inconceivable that He could have any mission from heaven. This is the essence of unbelief: the stubborn refusal to accept the evidence and admit the presence and power of God.

Doubt is not the absence of faith; doubt is the questioning of faith. You can only doubt what you already believe. Doubt is one of the most common struggles in the Christian life. On the other hand, unbelief is the determined refusal to believe and resistance to God involving spiritual blindness. It's the fast road to eternal separation from a loving Father.

Mark's statement, "He was not able to do a miracle there," doesn't imply Jesus was powerless, but that He wouldn't carry out His purposes where faith was absent.

Father, give me courage to stand up for who I know You are when I am surrounded by unbelief.””

—Open Windows, Wednesday, June 10.

Sent with the powerful love of Jesus!