Wanting A Spiritual Connection
Life is filled with highs and lows. Amidst the busyness of daily responsibilities, it’s important to develop a spiritual connection, a genuine friendship with God. In this blog, I want to share this perspective on why having a spiritual connection with God is essential and how it can positively influence your life. Seek Something Deeper You may find yourself caught up in the pursuit of material success and society’s expectations. Working hard at school, a job, maybe a family. You may have moments of accomplishment, but often feel unfulfilled and disconnected. Can you relate? Maybe you want something deeper, something beyond the physical realm – a spiritual connection. Find Comfort and Support Life has a way of throwing challenges at us – career uncertainties, relationship struggles, personal losses, and more. It can be a lot to deal with. During these difficult times, try turning to God. Think of God as a close friend that you can share anything with. Pray, share what is on your heart and mind, and discover a sense of comfort and support that you can’t find elsewhere. Know that there is a higher power, the Creator of our universe, looking out for you and guiding your steps. Letting God in can bring immense relief and strength. Embrace Vulnerability You may have been taught to be strong, independent, and self-reliant. However, in a pursuit of a friendship with God, you can learn the beauty of vulnerability. Opening up your heart and sharing your fears, doubts, and desires with God allows you to embrace your humanity fully. Surrender your ego and acknowledge your vulnerability, then see what God does with that. “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.” James 4:8 (NLT) This scripture emphasizes drawing close to God and experiencing His closeness in return. By seeking God’s presence and focusing on Him, you can have a more authentic friendship with God. Become a Better Person Cultivating a friendship with God will transform you. It’s not about putting up a façade of strength, but rather embracing humility, compassion, and a genuine desire to grow spiritually. Through a relationship with God, you can learn how to treat others with respect, kindness, and understanding. You can shed toxic societal expectations and become a better partner, friend, and member of your community. Discover Purpose One of the most significant benefits of your friendship with God can be discovering your life’s purpose. A deepened connection with God can help you understand that your talents and passions are gifts meant to be shared for the greater good. Whether it’s mentoring others, volunteering in your community, or supporting causes close to your heart, you can find fulfillment in contributing positively to your world. Navigate Life’s Challenges Life doesn’t stop presenting challenges just because you have a friendship with God. The Bible teaches us that trouble will come. This Bible verse says, when trouble comes, not if. The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. Nahum 1:7 However, having this relationship can guide you through life’s uncertainties. For example, in times of confusion or adversity, turning to prayer to seek guidance and clarity. While the solutions may not always be immediate, knowing that there’s a higher plan at work can give you the patience and resilience to endure and learn from life’s trials. Appreciate the Present Moment In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in worries about the future or regrets about the past. Your friendship with God can teach you the significance of living in the present moment. By grounding yourself in the here and now, you can enjoy and appreciate life’s simple joys. Be grateful for the unwavering support, love, and guidance that your friendship with God provides, making your life richer, purposeful, and meaningful. Take A First Step Toward Spiritual Connection Take a first step toward having a friendship with God. Then take a next step towards relationship and trust in Him because apart from Him, we can do nothing. Guard against other priorities that keep you from God and prevent you from starting and growing that friendship. We are here to help. If you would like to talk about taking a first step or next step, please reach out.
How Do You Forgive?
What comes to your mind when you hear the word forgive? That can be a loaded question, right?!? Is forgiveness something that you hope to receive, but you struggle to give? Whether you are a follower of Jesus or not, I would submit that this statement is true. “Not forgiving someone who has wronged you is like drinking poison and hoping that the other person dies.” Think about that for a moment. So often, when we hold on to the anger and bitterness, it just eats away at us. We’ve all had people who have wronged us in our lives. It may have been in the past, or it may be happening right now. Either way, we have a choice. You have a choice. Forgive that person, or let it eat you alive. Forgiveness is NOT EASY! Years ago, Staples had a fun advertising ad where they said they could easily fix all our office needs. Just hit the easy button and Staples will fix it. I so wish it was that way for us and forgiveness. There is a wild little book in the Bible called Hosea. In the book, God called Hosea to take back his wife, “Gomer” (yes, a very odd name for a lady). One problem for Hosea was that his wife had been unfaithful in their marriage. Hosea’s wife, Gomer, had cheated on him not once, but multiple times and was currently with another man. Talk about a tough marriage situation! God asked Hosea to take back his wife to symbolically show his people how He still loves us in spite of us turning our backs on him multiple times. (Hosea 3:1) Hosea boldly went out and took his wife back, and he loved her unconditionally. The people saw this and had an amazing one-sentence reply. “Come, let us return to the Lord.” (Hosea 6:1) So Simple—Return to God So often we humans like to make things so complicated, but it can be very simple. Let’s forgive others and forgive ourselves, and then return to God. Allow him to do his best work in us today. Who do you need to forgive? I encourage you to take a few minutes right now to think about that. Now I encourage you to go to God for comfort and peace. What do you need God to forgive in you? Be honest with yourself. I encourage you to go to God right now and allow him to forgive you immediately. Scripture encourages us so beautifully with this verse, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Check out this message on What the Bible Says About Forgiving.
Why Didn’t God Intervene?
I held her hand as my precious mama and best friend took her last breath. I was on the verge of losing my faith and asking why didn’t God intervene. We all have storms in our lives, difficult circumstances where the diagnosis came or when the casket gets lowered, and you’re standing there, just numb. Maybe the divorce is final and the custody didn’t go your way. You feel like your whole world has fallen apart. Why didn’t God intervene? The Bible is full of real stories where Jesus’s friends were disappointed. This story saved my life and my faith, and I hope that it can do the same thing for you. I want you to pretend you’re standing with Jesus and here comes somebody that’s yelling, “The one you love is sick!” This guy has been running for a day and a half to get to Jesus to tell Him His close friend Lazarus is sick. Jesus eventually arrived and found Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary she stayed home. Mary was mad. Read the story Disease and devastation didn’t even escape Jesus’s close friend. But Jesus’s lack of action isn’t a statement about our faith, and it’s not a statement about His love. You may think, “Maybe I’m not praying the right prayer or not behaving the right way. Maybe God doesn’t love me and that’s why He’s not showing up. Here comes the part to focus on… Jesus wept. John 11:35 Why is He crying? Jesus is crying because our Savior is wholly God and wholly human, and for the first time, I think while walking the planet He felt what we feel when death, disease, and pain destroy a relationship. He felt it, and we have a Savior that when we weep, He weeps and that’s comforting. God loves you. He sent Jesus to die on the cross for you. He weeps with you. Why didn’t God intervene? I don’t know, but what I do know is that your current circumstances are not a reflection of His love. Why didn’t God intervene? I don’t know, but I do know sometimes I have to wait in the pain. How To Restore The Relationship To restore the relationship with God and with other people that pain and death and disease have destroyed: Get vulnerable with the Lord. Tell Him all the things…that you’re angry, disappointed, or whatever you are feeling. Read the book of Psalms. If you open up the Psalms in the middle of the Bible, you will find 1/3 of them are people saying, “I don’t like this God. Will you fix this? God, will you do it now? God, can you help me? These provide an example of how to communicate with God. Be vulnerable with each other. Tell others how you’re really feeling, so they can tell us the truth. When you’re feeling terrible and feeling like God’s against you, it’s easy to spiral into that. When you tell it to others, then they start telling us the truth about God. Rest in the Lord and wait for His glory. He will use your pain to help other people. You have a friend, His name is Jesus. He can handle your emotion and disappointment. Jesus loves you. He died for you and will restore you. Watch a message about grieving and healing…
What The Bible Says About Rest
Can you think of a time when someone gave you great advice, but you didn’t take it? Today we’re looking at what the Bible says about rest and God’s advice on rest and how He has a plan for you to rest. You may think of God’s advice as rules, restrictions and regulations. I challenge you to shift your perspective to look at God’s advice as gifts. These are gifts from a God who loves you and wants to offer you the best life you could possibly have. What Does God Say About Rest In Genesis, God created the world, and everything in it was perfect. God rested on the seventh day. He blessed the seventh day and made it holy. Then the Lord took man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. In Hebrew, “put him in” actually means rested him. So, in God’s perfect design, He rested man in the garden to work. This was when everything was perfect and there was no sin. Enter the serpent and, before long, everything gets out of whack. Adam and Eve get sent out of the garden and out of God’s presence. Work gets hard. But, God always had a plan to restore us to the rest that Adam and Eve got in the garden. Many years after Adam and Eve messed up, God’s people were enslaved in Egypt. Remember the story where God sent Moses to get them out of Egypt? So, He rescues them out of Egypt, and they’re in the wilderness. Do you remember how He fed them? He dropped bread from heaven, and they could only pick up enough for each day. Except on the sixth day, bread could be picked up for two days because on the seventh day the bread didn’t come down. On the seventh day, God’s people were supposed to rest. God gave people the 10 commandments, one of which is to remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it, you shall not do any work, neither you nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:9-11 When Is The Last Time You Let God Have Your Full Attention It’s easy to miss the point of the Sabbath, and we’re not the only people who missed the point of it. Luke tells us the story: As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:38-42 Martha dismissed the idea of rest and the value of being at the foot of Jesus. She didn’t give God her full attention. 3 Steps To Taking A Sabbath Change your brain about it. Rest is a gift, not an oppression. Why do you resist rest? It may be because you like to accomplish things, and you like people to tell you that you’re good at accomplishing those things. It’s all about ego and need for affirmation. You may think you don’t need it and what you got going is working. Or maybe you try to reason it this way…”I’ll take a couple of hours here and there, but I don’t need to take a full Sabbath.” Or maybe you think if you take a vacation and average it out that it all works out. God wants you to live life and live it to the full, and His advice is to take a full day of rest. When is the last time that you took God’s advice, and it steered you wrong? Plan for it. You plan for the important things in your life, right? Make it a priority and put it on your schedule. Rest is delighting in who God created you to be, something that fills your soul, puts you in the presence of God and reminds you that you were created for good. This can look different for each person. If you work all week with your brain, then you need to rest your brain on the Sabbath. If you work all week with your body, then you need to rest your body on the Sabbath. Some people may need to wake up and not know what they are going to do for the day – a total open schedule. Maybe it’s eating with friends, playing a game, reading or biking. The important thing is to figure out what Sabbath looks like for you and plan for it. Remove something. If you’re going to have Sabbath in your life, you’ll have to take something out to free up space. It’s time to lighten the load, so you have space for time with God. The Sabbath is a gift from God. It’s for you. Take it. Watch a message about rest and taking a Sabbath…
Is Following God A Waste Of Time?
Have you ever invested time, money, or energy, or maybe all 3 into something, and then found out later it was a waste of time? Maybe you thought it was not worth what you put into it. How did that make you feel? Some Super Bowl commercials stick in your memory a long time. Over 20 years ago, E-Trade was a 5-year-old company that made a commercial with a monkey and two old guys all clapping off beat. During the last 5 seconds, they said, “Well, we just wasted 2 million dollars.” That was the cost of 30 seconds of air time during the big game that year. They urged their viewers to not waste their own money how they had. Looking a little deeper, you might find it wasn’t as much of a waste as they had let on. E-Trade was a newer company back then, providing a platform to buy stocks and options from the comfort of your own home, as the internet and personal computers were finding their way into more homes. They had a net profit of $671 million dollars the year of that “2 million dollar waste” commercial. They also added over 1 million new accounts – more than double the previous year. We might look at the commercial as a waste, but they were laughing all the way to the bank. They weren’t paying for a quality commercial or for 30 seconds of fame. They knew that money would go toward something of far greater value and return to them ten times over. How Do You Know Following God Is Worth It? In Matthew 13:45-46, Jesus says, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” In the short parable, Jesus tells of a man who found something that held such great value that it was worth trading in all he owned. I bet some of his merchant buddies thought, “what a waste” or “what are you thinking?!” He saw the greater value behind it and knew it was worth the cost up front of all he could offer. What would you do in that situation? Would you risk it all? Jesus says the Kingdom of Heaven is like that. It’s worth laying down everything, so we can take hold of it. Others may look at you and think, “what a waste.” All that time and money you put toward that God stuff – it isn’t worth it. But we have tasted and have seen that it is worth it. It’s worth everything we could offer and more. We’re getting the better end of the deal, if you could even call it that. Jim Elliot was a missionary who died doing his work and was famous for saying, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Let that sink in. No matter how you look at it, we’re all spending our lives on something. If we’re brutally honest, we see a lot of those things don’t hold their value for long. The memories fade. The clothes wear out. The things break. Spend your life on what matters and what holds value beyond this life. Jesus shows us the way in this parable, and was willing to give us His life so that we could grasp the greatest thing this world cannot offer – eternal life with our Heavenly Father. Where Do You Start? If you are looking for a place to start living a life with value, check out Rooted. Rooted is a 10-week life-changing experience where you will connect with God, the church, and your purpose. Learn and practice 7 rhythms essential to a healthy relationship with Jesus and build strong roots in the truth of God’s Word, the Bible. You were made for a purpose! Here are some Missions that are always looking for volunteers. Find one or more that break your heart and dive in! We encourage you to take that first step and just start. It will not be a waste of time. Following God is not a waste of time.
How To Improve Your Relationships
Taking The First Step To Improve Your Relationships As an adult, I took a step and began attending a bible teaching church. Now, I not only believe in God, but desire to know Him personally. He drew me to scripture, Bible study, and yes, even stirred an appetite to never miss church services. My relationship with Jesus continues to be more and more important to me. The more I learn, the more I want to learn. The empty place in my soul is now overflowing with His amazing grace! He put the offer on the table, and I seized it. Will you? I almost forgot the best part—it was free. Now, we know not every relationship lasts forever. Some end because of distance or a change in interests. There is a portion we lose because of arguments, betrayals, or misunderstandings. Even though some end, each shaped something in your life. Relationships are at the forefront of our lives and it takes work to improve your relationships. Whether it be our family, friend circle, church family, or a ministry in which we serve, each one of these relationships has meaning and purpose. We value these connections and, therefore, nurture them. We take time to grow closer and share in each other’s joys and sorrows. They aren’t always easy, but when watered with honesty, love, time, and commitment, they bloom into beautiful blessings. “and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds,” – Hebrews 10:24 You Were Created For Relationship Did you know you were created for relationship? Not just with other people, but with your Creator Himself. Wow! Talk about a valuable friendship. I can’t think of any other relationship that could top the one God offers. It might be difficult to believe He is interested in us, but He is. After all, God orchestrated a perfect plan, that we might know Him for eternity. We don’t always realize this offer is on the table, do we? Growing up, I thought going to church was a chore. I treated it as something I had to do because my parents told me to. I kept going week after week because of expectations or half-explained traditions. Furthermore, I never gave a thought to “who” might wait for my presence in that big brick building with stained-glass windows. It wasn’t a place of relationship for me, but a place of obligation. Sounds terribly sad, doesn’t it? So many years wasted when I could have had so much more. But God saw me. “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” – Zephaniah 3:17 Ask yourself, is there something within you longing for something greater? Is your soul nearing empty? God places the same offer before you. Will you take it? Walk into a genuine relationship with Him. You will find what you’ve been seeking, receive all that you need, and begin a journey of a lifetime. He sees you too. “And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:13 Do You Need Encouragement? We all need encouragement. One way to experience encouragement is to connect with others. Weare here for you. You are not alone. Join a Lifegroup and surround yourself with people who will lift you up and encourage your relationship with God Let Us Pray For You Talk To A Pastor
3 Steps To Becoming Debt Free
Recently, our family became completely debt-free – no mortgage, no car payments, and no credit card bills. We’ve entered into a new arena of truly enjoying our income. Since we don’t have the weight of debt, we can share our resources in significant ways with others. There are plenty of resources out there that can assist you with the money side of this journey: budgeting, interest rates, refinancing, investing, etc. If this is a journey you are ready to take yourself and debt is controlling your joy and peace, then looking into those resources is worthwhile. We were able to find some great resources through The Village Christian Church. 1. Build a Community While the first Christians began to build their church in Acts, the Bible says: “all the believers were together and had everything in common.” -Acts 2:44 NIV This was not referring to having hobbies in common, but the pooling of resources. First, be open about your goals to becoming debt-free. And be honest with your community about what you need to move forward with your goals. You’d be amazed at how God’s people show up. Investing your time in a lifegroup is one way you can build such a community. I’ve participated in and heard of lifegroups helping with bills, childcare, meals, car rides, job opportunities, Christian counsel, and the list goes on. When you are a part of a community of believers, you do not have to do this alone. Utilize the help offered, especially if it could help you put more money down on your debt. Initially, we tried doing this all on our own because we felt guilty about accepting help from others. Don’t let yourself fall into that trap. The second you aren’t paying money to interest, you can certainly have the time and resources to significantly impact someone else’s life. So, you can help someone who was once in the same position as yourself. 2. Be Prepared for Emergencies Unfortunately, trials will come your way, especially when trying to get your finances under control. Scripture says: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sister, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” -James 1:2-3 So the year of our biggest financial trials is the year we started attending The Village Christian Church. We were feeling pretty broken from all the trials we had just been through. While we built on our faith, however, our spirits were brought back to life. And we found new perseverance to keep going on. Now we are prepared for emergencies, both financially and emotionally. Trusting in God allowed us to see the hope on the other side of things. It helped us lean into our chaos, and come out better for it in the end. 3. Find Contentment Lastly, I’d like to talk about some lifestyle changes our family made to achieve our goal. These mindset changes were crucial in having the perseverance needed to tackle such large sums of money. Contentment is the best tool to becoming debt-free. As believers in Christ, we are living for the eternal, not for the ways of this world. The world wants you worrying about what you wear, how flashy your house and car are, and the trends you are participating in. Do you have the latest electronics, are your kids in the “best” programs/schools? All of these things that the world deems important cost money. Plus, they can bring you farther from your goal of becoming debt-free, especially if you are using credit to achieve them. Yet Scripture tells us, “godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” -1 Timothy 6:6-8 Find contentment and enjoyment in your relationship with God – not in the things of this world. This takes practice and self-discipline. But this results in the ability to say no to frivolous spending, and focus on what matters. Print out a few months’ worth of your spending. I guarantee you can free up a couple of hundred dollars worth of spending right off the bat. You will find the things that don’t contribute to your contentment in life, things you can live without. In Philippians, Paul says: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” -Philippians 4:12-13 NIV Always… Lean on the Lord throughout this process, and ask that he give you the strength to find contentment in this situation – the situation of becoming debt-free.
How To Be Thankful In The Challenging Times
Do you ever wonder how to be thankful when you’re going through some challenges? So many people are dealing with hard times. This blog will share ideas about being thankful. Count Your Blessings The picture was a drawing made by my son, but it has so much more significance than just colorful artwork done by a child. This particular Thanksgiving, my son Evan had been through 11 months of cancer treatment. After being home bound, he had just returned back to school and this was one of the first art projects he brought home. Now I remember that day, being so thankful for a child that was able to go to school. I was thankful that he finally had enough of an immune system to be around other kids. I was thankful that he was healthy enough to get through an entire day of school. In the previous year these were things I took for granted, and now I felt so thankful for them. As I look at this picture today I realize I could use a recalibration of my perspective on gratitude. Thanksgiving is a perfect day to hit the reset button! Choose Gratitude Over Complacency I think of the Israelites. Hungry in the desert. They had no idea what the future would hold but they were trusting God for provision. He sent down manna. Literal provision from the sky everyday. They lived with such awe and gratitude of such a simple thing provided by God. As the days piled up, they started to become complacent and even complained about the manna. The thing they were so thankful for had now become insignificant. They wanted more. They wanted meat. If you finish the story you see that God did eventually give them what they wanted, only to prove to them it would not make them happy, on the contrary, it caused misery. So I ask you, as I search my own heart today; where have you begun to take advantage of God’s blessings in your life? If we focus on “getting more” we will never feel fulfilled, but if we focus on God and thank Him for all He’s done, we will have indescribable joy. I can’t even explain it to you, but during Evan’s cancer treatment I experienced the most joy I’ve ever felt. Not because my circumstances were good. That’s for sure; but because I spent more time being aware of my need and dependency on God. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God.” – Philippians 4:6
How To Pray With Purpose
I don’t know about you, but when I pray, I pray with an expectation that something will happen. That can vary depending on the situation, but usually I’m hoping for something; an answer, wisdom, healing, opportunity, grace, mercy, favor, forgiveness…… Lately, the thing I’m wanting most from prayer is the peace, love, and serenity that comes from simply being in the presence of God. If we pray with the expectation that God, will in some way, bless us; isn’t it fair to assume that we all desire to pray with purpose? Sometimes it can feel like we are doing it all wrong. Have you ever felt like your prayers were jumbled or confusing; or maybe you trail off and get distracted or sleepy when you are praying? If you have ever felt like your prayer life could be better, stick with me! I have a few things I’d like to share with you! Have you ever asked yourself if God can and will do what He wants, why should I pray? The point of prayer is not to change God, it’s to change you. It’s about a relationship, and there is no shortcut to a relationship. It just takes time! God gave us free will, which means a relationship is up to us, and no one can do it for us. Prayer is not an activity, it’s a relationship! It is within our relationship with God that we will discover His will. When you are praying God’s will, that’s when you are really praying effective prayers. Do you ever feel like you are mumbling or are at a loss for words when you pray? There is no right or wrong way to pray, and even crying out the name “Jesus” is a prayer. There aren’t certain words that you need to use to have your prayer heard by God. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Holy Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” Romans 8:26 If God knows what you need before you ask, then why pray? “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10 God already has a great plan for your future, as promised in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” There are blessings predestined for you in the realm of heaven. Jennifer Kennedy Dean worded it well, “The intent of prayer is to release the power of God to accomplish the purpose of God.” God’s desire is to release the best possible solution in every situation, but he requires your participation. He will let you miss it sometimes. God puts blessings in our path all day, like little wrapped presents, but if we do not open them, we do not get the joy of experiencing what is inside. Do you ever feel like you are begging God, or trying to change His mind? The secret to purposeful prayers is not how to change God, but how to be changed by Him. We can sometimes get caught up praying for a certain desired outcome that we have decided would be best. The huge problem with that is if we do not get that outcome, we believe the lie that God did not answer our prayer. A better way to pray is to work backward and ask yourself, “What is the desire of my heart?” Does it align with the will of God and His promises? Then scripture shows us, He would love nothing better than to answer our prayer. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you.” Psalm 37:4 “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Matthew 7:7 Prayer has an instant impact on the spiritual realm of heaven, no matter how unformed it may be. No need to worry or beg after you pray! Praying Perfectly As my final thought, I want to take a look at the one person who prayed perfectly, Jesus. Jesus would often sneak away to a quiet place and pray. He knew to turn down the noise of the world around him in order to hear the still small voice of his Father who loved him. Jesus was in the world and felt all the feelings you and I feel today. He dealt with sadness, betrayal, and the pain of being misunderstood, just like we do. He did not always get the “answer” to prayer that he was hoping for. It says in Matthew 26:36 “My Father, if possible, let this cup pass over me, nevertheless, not as I will but as you will.” Jesus could see the cross coming, and He did not want to suffer, but He wanted what God wanted more than what He wanted. That’s exactly what that prayer is saying. He’s being honest with God and telling him he does not want to suffer, but He wants God’s will to override His own. If he lived in 2019 he might say “Father download your will into my heart so that it overrides mine.” God is looking for an intercessor. Someone who, through prayer, is willing to stand in that gap between heaven and earth. A person willing to be a conduit through which the power of heaven can be brought to earth. Prayer is a process. God initiates it by His love for you. He will bring you into submission over the thing you want. You start by desiring something and end only desiring Him. That’s when you know your prayers are powerful. That’s when you are praying like Jesus!
How Do You Experience God’s Redemption?
How often do we feel overwhelmed, forgotten, scared, guilty, hurt, or disappointed, and yet, by the grace of God, we have been redeemed, but how do you experience God’s redemption? All we have to do is participate. Redemption, defined by dictionary.com, is an act of redeeming, rescue, or deliverance from sin. For followers of Christ, we know He is our Rescuer. Ephesians 1:7 states, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” It Hit Me The other night I was wiping down my kitchen counters for the evening, reflecting on some of the different aspects of faith and being a follower of Christ. Simple moments can bring such clarity. The idea came to me (no doubt from the Holy Spirit) that you cannot fully know the power of God’s redemption until you allow yourself to fully participate in the process of God’s redemption. Jesus is Our Rescuer. He died on the cross, bearing the world’s sins. There’s not a pain you’ve felt that He didn’t also experience. So when we find ourselves lost for one reason or another, we need only to look to Him. What If I Don’t Believe? If you are not a Christian, if you had a bad experience, if you’re not sure what to believe, if you don’t believe in any God, or whatever else, I ask you to try participating in the process of His rescue. God wants a relationship with you. No. Matter. What. Much like if you shut out a close friend trying to help you, Jesus cannot rescue you unless you participate in a relationship with Him. Actively so. I ask you to try. Try walking alongside Him, allowing Him into your heart, and letting Him guide your path. Unless you participate, you may not experience the greatest joy possible. This looks like reaching out to someone who does believe for help and mentorship. It looks like praying. A lot. It looks like reading the Bible, joining a church community, and even a church Lifegroup. How Can I Help? If you are a Christian, I encourage you to remember that those who haven’t experienced the power of redemption, cannot walk in and live from this understanding. Grace, grace, grace. Remember our call to lovingly help restore the hurt by bringing them to the One who can help, the only One who can. This looks like inviting people to church or Lifegroup. It looks like praying for them. A lot. It looks like sacrificing your comfort to show them God’s love. It looks like doing what you can to bring them to God.
How To Identify And Overcome Pride
Let’s talk about blind spots, but not the ones on the road. Today we’re talking about the blind spot of pride. Pride is easy to see in other people, and we can all think of an example of an arrogant or prideful person who crossed our path in the past. You may have heard someone glorifying their abilities and accomplishments with their own words. Or you may have witnessed a very wealthy person speak about their material possessions as the result of their hard work and success. Seeing our own pride is near impossible without some help. Where Are Your Blind Spots? It’s usually a turn-off when you encounter a bold and prideful person, but have you ever considered the idea that you too may suffer from a pride problem? If you are shaking your head as you read this, saying to yourself, I am definitely not full of pride. I actually lean more toward insecurity than pride. You may be just like me. I was sitting in church one day listening to a message on pride, tuning most of it out because it did not seem to pertain to me. Then I was struck with the convincing truth that I too had a pride problem. You can check out the Message Here. It snuck into my life as a “blind spot.” A blind spot, by definition, is just as it sounds. It’s an area where a person’s view is obstructed. In the area of pride, this simply means that you are unaware of your own sin of pride. For the arrogant professional athlete boasting to the media about his skill, the problem of pride is obvious. But have you ever failed to seek advice because you thought you already knew the answers? Have you ever sought out the advice that the world offers rather than seeking God’s truth because you place a higher value on what others think? Then you may have a pride problem. How To Identify Pride Some may call them problems or blind spots, but as Rachelle Ferguson pointed out in her message, How To Change When The Hits Keep Coming, it’s really called pride. Pride shows up in two ways We think we know when we really don’t. We take credit for God’s work in our lives. I have been guilty of seeking the advice and approval of my friends and family before God when I have had a big problem. I believe the lie that the problem is mine to solve, and seeking God’s wisdom is, sadly, sometimes the last thing I do. If I’m being really honest, when I am upset, confused, worried, or offended I will even seek the comfort and advice of the people in my life that I know will agree with me rather than the advice of those I respect, because it is easier. Joyce Meyer has a really cheesy saying, but it is so true that it has stuck in my brain for many years. She says, “before you go to the phone, go to the throne.” I know! Silly, but oh so true. When I am tempted to call a friend for some unhealthy conversation, I think of how true this statement is. Have I gone to God with this problem? If not, why? Is it because I don’t really want wisdom, I just want someone to agree with me that I am right? Ouch, that’s pride. It says in Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” If you are truly seeking wisdom, then seek God.” Proverbs 16:5 says “The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: they will not go unpunished.” I know that sounds aggressive, but here is the point that must not be missed! God does not hate the sin of pride just because it’s unbecoming or arrogant. He detests pride because PRIDE IS A HINDRANCE TO SEEKING GOD. Where Do You Look? If you are acting in pride, you are looking inward or outward but not upward. God wants you to lean on and trust in Him in all things. This does not mean trust Him with the big things and micromanage the small things yourself. I was guilty of this myself. When my son was very sick, I found it easy to turn everything over to God. Cancer seemed so much bigger than me. I couldn’t figure it out, plan through it, or fix it. I instantly surrendered it to God. However, the smaller things seemed to cause me more stress and heartache, if you can imagine that. I believe the reason is that I decided I could be in control of the smaller things. God wants to be on the throne of your life. Pride wants to put you on the throne of your life. So spend some time reflecting, and if you find you spend your days constantly striving to make your own life better rather than focusing on the hope God has for you, you may have a blind spot, better known as pride. If you find yourself in this place, there is hope. God will help you reveal your blind spots. James 4:6-7 says “But he gives us more GRACE. That is why scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
Why You Should Say No To Busy
Do you ever feel overwhelmed with the busyness of life? Do you know why you should say no to busy? What does that even look like? Memories Of Being Carefree It’s summer, and I love everything that comes with it. I love the smell of hamburgers cooking on the grill, the tingle of sun-kissed skin after a long day of swimming, gardens filled with the hope of fresh vegetables soon, and the memories of being a carefree kid during summer. This week I saw two of my little neighbor girls sitting on a blanket, giggling and eating a popsicle. They were so carefree. So simple. So happy. It brought me back to being a kid myself in the 80s. The highlight of my summers were Disney popsicles and summer reading at the library. I was pulled from my daydream and jerked back into reality as my phone began to chime over and over. It was text messages and email reminders for everything my kids either needed to do or needed to sign up to do soon. I don’t know when we got to this place, but this summer my daughter had 3 open gym times for 3 separate sports, all in one day, and that was just school-related sports. On To The Next Activity It seems that being busy has become the new norm. Whether you are single, married, have children, or are an empty nester, you need to have a full schedule. You need to have picture-worthy date nights, vacations your friends envy, and hobbies to post about. Your kids need to be scouted by a reputable college at their little league game, and one sport or activity must now overlap the previous one. There is no room for downtime, and the busy days leave little time for more than a frozen pizza or drive-through dinner at the end of a long night. We are subconsciously fed the message that we need to do more, be more, and accomplish more. The “world” has figured out how to make us believe this lie. Algorithms are designed specifically to know what we want, what we think, what we fear, and what we desire in a matter of clicks. It’s so subtle we don’t even realize it’s happening. We are all on one big lazy river! Have you ever been on a lazy river? I will say it’s relaxing for a while. You lay back on a raft, and the current takes you. No effort is necessary on your part. You can even close your eyes and get some sun. Everyone is moving in the same direction, at the same speed, and at the same time. Then comes the moment you are ready to get out. You see the stairs coming, and you hop off your raft, but you miss it. You now have to walk against the current, pushing against other rafts, to make it to the steps to get out of this lazy river. Turn Off The Autopilot That is how I see this current season of life. Everything from audible books, to razors, to pre-packaged meals, has an “autopilot” option. Vendors want you to lock into something, so you don’t need to give it a second thought. It’s all taken care of. It’s very passive, and can be very dangerous in our spiritual life. If we are not alert to what we are passively saying yes to, then we become another floater on the lazy river. Being a follower of Christ, especially during this time in history, takes action on our part. If you are going to be a person who follows Jesus, you WILL look different from those around you. Even more difficult, if you are raising a family who follows Jesus, you will look different from those around you and that is rarely going to be easy. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13: “Enter the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Distractions Lead To Destruction The enemy knows he cannot steal our salvation, but he can distract us. He can avert our eye from God and put it on the things of the world. Many times the things that distract us are not bad per se, the problem lies when those things get priority over God. The world makes it so easy to just enter the wide gate that leads to destruction. Heck, the world will even install a lazy river, so you can float right through the gate. I challenge you to hop off your raft! Climb out of the lazy river and make an active decision to participate in the life God wants you to have, not the busy life that the world says will bring you peace, satisfaction, and success. Say no to busy. Clear up your calendar. Dare to have enough time to be bored, rest, and listen to God’s still small voice. “Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10
Prayer Tips
Do you ever feel like you’re just coasting in your spiritual life or not feeling connected to God? Do you struggle to be intentional with Him during life’s busy seasons and let your time for prayer fall through the cracks? Most of us struggle with being too short on time and being too busy to notice. But this is a reminder that your prayer life shouldn’t wait. What if I told you planning time for prayer daily could change your life for the better? With the new year, I know many of us are feeling the need to “get back on track.” In our spiritual lives, prayer is an area we should never neglect, but sometimes it’s the first to be delayed. It’s an area I’ve struggled with greatly but am determined to change this year. Between advice from mentors and friends to my discipleship study, I’ve got a list of ideas below on how to help you. Remember: You don’t have to try and use them all (or any). These are just ideas! Take What Works And Leave The Rest If you are struggling with the motivation to pray, don’t let that stop you! Not praying doesn’t hide our excuses from God. If you feel overwhelmed, bored, or distracted, bring THAT to your Father. (Hint: He already knows!) He loves you and wants to help you. You can pray about this struggle and because it aligns with His will to be in relationship with you, He will help you! Consider when you can schedule daily prayer time, even if it’s only for 5 minutes. Schedule it and stick to it. Figure out the excuses you tell yourself and start to recognize when you’re using them. Start with a time you’ll be successful in using. Set an alarm on your phone for halfway through your lunch break. Put a post-it note on your bathroom mirror. Whatever it takes, schedule your time and get creative in reminding yourself. Plan your prayers. This concept was foreign to me when I first heard about it. Pray scripture? Pray a prayer I pre-wrote? Take down bulleted points so I don’t forget? It didn’t feel “right” at first. It felt like…cheating or taking the easy route. Until I realized that prayer is so much about intentionality. You can even find prayer planners to help with this if that’s your style; that’s what I’m trying this year! Track your progress. This one might sound strange, but if you write out your prayers, you can also write down when and how they are answered. Or you could write down other ways God is working in your life. Talk about a motivator! Pick a designated place to pray. This can help build a habit of prayer, making consistency easier. Ask an accountability partner to check in with you weekly. Choose wisely: a fellow believer who will take it seriously. This can help keep you on track, serve as a reminder, and encourage you. This includes calling upon the Holy Spirit. Ask the Spirit to build excitement in your heart for prayer! Keep Your Prayers Simple Don’t feel like you need a whole bunch of right words or fancy words. Keep your prayers simple if you need that. Matthew 6: 5-8 outlines a life of prayer, and verse 8 specifically reminds us that: “your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Most important: Remember, you don’t have to be perfect in your prayer life! You don’t have to use all of these tips…or any. It’s about building a prayer life that keeps YOU connecting with your Father. As you build towards a better prayer life and relationship with God, any steps you take towards improving this will bring about good change.
How To Study The Bible
Why Do I Need To Study the Bible? I find that it is important to have a goal for new endeavors. I find it helpful to understand the “why”. The goal for studying the Bible is to develop a close relationship with Jesus. To learn about God, His character, His will for our lives and His ways. We want to hear from God and understand how He made us, what His plan for our life is and what He wants us to know. We need to understand God’s heart so we can respond from our heart. The Bible is the story of God with us. It is 66 books by 40 authors and focuses on God’s plan to reconcile us, in our brokenness, back to Himself through Jesus. The Old Testament points toward the coming of Jesus. The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) provide us with accounts of Jesus’s life from 4 unique perspectives. Acts shows us how the Christian church began. The Epistles (letters written to the new churches) are instructions containing necessary insights to living a life that honors God, following Jesus and potential pitfalls to watch out for. Where Do I Start? I definitely recommend starting in the gospels (the first 4 books of the New Testament). If we want to develop a close relationship with Jesus and model our life after His, we need to know what His life looked like. We should know what was important to Him, who He spent time with, how He responded to the world and people around Him and what He taught. The Gospels all tell the story of Jesus’s life. Just like you and I, the authors were different and experienced interactions with Jesus with different perspectives. Some stories are recounted by all of them, some stories were only told by 1 or 2 of them. Reading them all, gives you a bigger, broader picture of Jesus’s life. Next, I would read the Epistles. These are letters written by apostles and siblings of Jesus to the churches that were forming all over. They are filled with truth and encouragement for the churches in areas that were living and loving well. There was also valuable personal testimony of what God was doing in various places and how the message of Jesus was expanding. The letters gave advice for avoiding painful consequences and discipline when necessary for redirection, growth and living a life that glorified God. These letters are so applicable to life today! A great tool for studying the Bible is the YouVersion Bible App. You can download it free to your smart device and have the Bible with you wherever you go. What Do I Do With What I Read? As we begin to study the Bible, we want to understand what we are reading so we can apply it to our life, exactly where we are today. For the word of God (the Bible) is alive and active. – Hebrews 4:12 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 We don’t want to just know what the Bible says, we want to live it! Grab a journal and as you read, answer these questions (taken from the Rooted study) about the scripture you are reading, What does it say? (Paraphrase it, using your own words) What does it mean? (How does this impact you today?) What am I going to do? (What specific application will you make today?) This is a super simple but highly effective method to making the most out of your Bible study time! Again, a close relationship with Jesus is the goal, and worth the time investment. Life Change occurs when we encounter Jesus in a meaningful way and live our lives for Him.
Sabbath – Do We Need To Remember It?
The Commandment Do we still need to remember the Sabbath? The answer is yes! Honoring the Sabbath was a law given to the Israelites by God himself. The Bible tells us this, “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11 Even though this was declared as a commandment so many years ago, it is still vital to our physical and spiritual health today. Sabbath is not just the absence of labor, it is actively pursuing rest, restoration, and connection. Somehow, as a society, we have conditioned ourselves to believe that if we are not working hard, striving, obtaining, and achieving, then we are failing. We must read that verse in its entirety. It says for six days you will work, and on the seventh day you will rest. God recognizes that there is work to be done. There is value in an honest day’s work of providing for your family. He gives you six days to do it, however, you must then pause to rest and refuel. We would never expect a car to drive without gasoline, or a smartphone to operate with a dead battery. We will fill our tank and grab a charger. Yet, we somehow will not treat our own mind, body and soul as well as we treat a disposable electronic device. Restoration As we continue to work and live at breakneck speed, we have subconsciously recognized we are reaching burn out. Do we choose to rest at this point? No. We often choose to escape using caffeine, or nicotine, or alcohol. Or we mentally check out by scrolling, eating, or Netflix binging. We fool ourselves into thinking that it is resting and restoring, but the truth is, it is further depleting us. God knew what we needed from the beginning. He put this rhythm of renewal into place for our own good. He is the creator and author of our existence and He can be trusted to know what we need. I am reminded of a situation in my life where God used my circumstances to show me exactly what He wanted from me. In 2017 I had two major knee surgeries and was in a locked brace and had to use crutches for several months. For several weeks, I could not bear any weight on my right leg. I also could not drive or even carry a cup of coffee on my own. The timing of this was hard. It came after several years of hard things. Hard things in which I felt I had to carry the weight for myself and those around me. Funny that after a long season of being so “strong” in my own mind I would find myself being completely weak and helpless. I had to have friends and family drive me to physical therapy. My kids had to start riding the bus to school, and the hardest thing of all, I had to ask my husband for help with everything. Much to my surprise he was very willing, I had just never given him the space or opportunity to do so. Cry Out To Him One day in particular, I was feeling frustrated by my limitations. I’d even go as far to say I was depressed about the fact that I could no longer run. I’ve used running for many years as a way to deal with my stress and heavy emotions, convincing myself that this was a healthy coping mechanism. It beats grabbing a bottle of wine to deal with my stress, right? Wrong! It’s not good if you are constantly using it as a distraction from taking your need for a Savior to the only One who can help you. That day I cried out to God in anger over all of my loss. The loss of my career as I became a mom, the loss of my “healthy” child as he faced cancer, the loss of my brother in-law, and now the loss of my physical strength and ability??? It just wasn’t fair! I told God exactly that with loud words and big tears; and when I was done with my fit, he gently showed me this verse. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will cause you to rest.” Matthew 11:28 I’ve heard this verse many times before, but that particular day, this is what had changed. In the past I heard this verse to say “I will give you rest” but the version I read that day said “I will cause you to rest”. I froze! It occurred to me that I’d been striving and surviving for many years. I’ve always trusted God, and He carried me through all of it, however, I thought I still needed to do more. So I kept pushing, kept working, kept striving and avoided the rest I so desperately needed. True Sabbath I didn’t just need a nap or a vacation, but true Sabbath. I needed to rest in the arms of the Father who loved me. Restoration for my soul and connection with God, with myself and with my people. I did exactly that, and God had so much for me. It was three years full of blessings, and joy. There were still hard days, for sure, but God showed me who I was. He showed me who He was. He made my path straight and guided me toward my purpose. I had to stop and listen though. God will not speed along side of you and yell to you what you need to
Fasting Is A Way To Grow
Fasting may be a new concept to many, but it is a powerful tool that God gave us to grow in relationship with Him. When we put off a physical need, and we focus our energy on God, we learn to trust Him. It is when we acknowledge that He is the one true source of life that He moves us deeper into a place of dependence. Of course, God designed us to eat food, and he provides the food we need to live. Therefore, fasting is a great way to re-set and re-focus. It’s a way for God to remind us that He will take care of us and sustain us when we rely on Him. I fasted in January with the Elder team and am doing so again right now! When I fast I experience grace to draw closer to God and spend more time in prayer. Of course, it’s a struggle, but that’s the beauty of it. We need God’s grace to sustain us, otherwise we are weak on our own apart from Him. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert to begin His ministry. After 40 days with no food, Jesus was undoubtedly hungry. He experienced the same physical needs as we do. When Jesus was weak, Satan tempted Him to turn the rocks into bread to eat. When we are weak, God can show His strength in us. Read Jesus’ response to Satan: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” – Matthew 4:4 How fitting that Jesus’ answer was directly from the word of God in Deuteronomy 8:3. In this verse, the Israelites were wandering the desert with no food to eat. God provided manna from heaven each day, but only enough for that day. The Israelites had no choice but to trust God for their daily provision and sustenance. When Jesus responded to Satan with this verse, he declared that God is the ultimate source of life. Even if he ate the food that tempted him at that moment, it would not sustain him in the long run. God is our sustainer. The story of Daniel is another great example of God-honoring fasting. He was serving a wicked king, who had taken him captive. “Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank.” – Daniel 1:8 Daniel put his dependence on God above his physical need and desire for delicious and filling food. He chose to fast from all food and drink except for water and vegetables. In the next few verses it says, “God gave Daniel favor”, and “Daniel became stronger and healthier than the other men who took all of the king’s food and wine.” Daniel put God before his natural desires, and God blessed him for it. I believe God wants to bless each one of us in the same way. When we choose to humble ourselves before God, rely on Him, and deny certain desires of the flesh, God responds with a breakthrough, answered prayers, and favor! I hope you are encouraged to trust God in this way, and ask Him for help in giving up something ordinary for a time, in order to gain something extraordinary for a lifetime- a closer walk with God!
Is The Bible Reliable?
Bible Stories Even if you weren’t raised in the church, you still know more bible stories than you think: Noah and the ______. Jonah and the ______. Joseph and the Amazing ________. Moses and the _______________. Jesus was born in a _____________. He raised from dead on the _____ day. In our culture, many people were raised with these stories and took them as truth. You either grew to understand the context of the stories, or you grew to doubt. Science, logic and history may have contradicted the Sunday School version of the Bible that you knew. In fact, you may have come to doubt if you can trust the words in the Bible. How Did The Bible Become The Bible? Before we can determine if the Bible is reliable, we have to ask, how did the Bible become the Bible? I mean, who wrote it? And why? God didn’t write it. Jesus didn’t write it. So, where did it come from? Historical documents and secular scholars agree that Jesus existed and was executed on a cross, but the story of “The Bible” does not begin in Genesis and it doesn’t starts with His birth. The story of the BIBLE starts when the women show up at an empty tomb. When hundreds of people see Jesus ALIVE in Jerusalem after he was killed publicly on a cross and buried. The resurrection was THE NEWS STORY of the first century. The Bible actually begins BECAUSE of a doctor named Luke. He was not Jewish, but Greek. He was asked to write a document for Theophilus, a wealthy man that had heard many stories of Jesus, from many different disciples. Luke had heard enough stories and met enough of the eye witnesses that he had put his faith in Jesus. So, He asked Luke to give him “the full story”. This is how his document begins: Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled (or have happened) among us, Just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. – Luke 1:1 It’s unusual that more than one account occurred of same event. In ancient times there are virtually no multiple accounts of the same event. The life of Jesus actually stands out in history simply for the fact of multiple written accounts of his life. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. – Luke 1:3 Luke tells us about Mary. Have you ever wondered how we know what the angel said to Mary? It’s because Luke interviewed her. He tells us about all kinds of details, that’s how doctors are. He tells us the name of the person that paid for Jesus’ burial, and many more details that seem insignificant, but are important to the actual proof of life. Why So Many Accounts? It was expensive and unusual to write back then. Most people were illiterate. There are so many accounts because SOMETHING HAPPENED. We know that 4 of the disciples accounts ended up in this. Mark was short, to the point, and full of action. Matthew, a Jew, was saying trust me – Jesus is the Messiah we have been looking for. Luke admits that he is not the only one. John was old, why write it? Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. – John 20:30 But these are written, that you may believe. -John 20:31 That Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life bu the power in his name. -John 20:31 John’s account is all you need. If this is all you ever read, you ever know, this is enough. In addition to all of the accounts of Jesus’ life from his closest disciples, there are also a lot of writings that end up in the Bible. In addition to his account of Jesus’ life, Luke also wrote an account of the first 30 years in the life of the Church, which we call the book of Acts. Luke knew Peter, John and Matthew, he also knew James, brother of Jesus, and he really knew Paul. He traveled and planted churches with Paul. Secular historians agree that the writings of Paul shaped the culture of western civilization. Paul was more than just a Jesus follower and church planter. He explains how Christians should use the Old Testament, for inspiration and motivation, not application. Paul is important to THE BIBLE because: 1. He wrote some of it. 2. He explains the relationship between the parts. 3. He authenticates the resurrection. Some secular scholars dispute the Gospels, their timeline and authorship. They say that Christians made up the story of the resurrection after everyone that could deny it was dead, and then wrote these Gospels to give credence to their made up religion. There are so many historical reasons this doesn’t make sense. Paul’s letter to Corinth is INDISPUTABLE evidence that Jesus’ resurrection was accepted as fact IMMEDIATELY. Nobody disputes that Paul wrote the document we call 1 Corinthians. Nobody disputes that he wrote it about 55 AD, 3 years after he planted the church in Corinth. The Timeline Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. – 1 Corinthians 15:1 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, – 1 Corinthians 15:3 and that he appeared to
Get Up And Do Life
I knew I needed to get up because there were a ton of things to do. Tasks to accomplish, dishes to clean, floors to sweep, laundry to do, lunch with a friend…but I could not get off the sofa. I can’t explain why, I just could not do it. For hours. Days. Lunch was canceled, laundry was not done, dinner not started. For days. Weeks. The Solutions Seems Simple For many of you reading this, the solution seems simple: just get up and do it. It’s a nebulous thing, depression, it’s a weight that makes getting up impossible. Depression is a wall between you and the rest of the world. It’s a haze that makes what you know needs to get done seem impossible. It’s a voice that whispers to you how awful you are because you KNOW it’s all possible, and still you cannot manage. You cannot explain something like this. How do you lift yourself up when that whisper keeps pushing you down? How can you be honest with your loved ones when you fear that it’s you that’s damaged, no good, a problem, lazy, mean, or any other number of things? Some days and months were better than others. Many who know me would be shocked to know the reality that was my life. The struggle to get up every day. The overwhelming desire to sleep. The need to push everyone away. To isolate. To disappear. It was not then and is not now my fault. Depression can run in families, it can occur without any hereditary cause. It can be brought on by traumatic circumstances or come with the birth of a baby. It can be made better with medication or become worse with the wrong medication. Depression is bewildering, lonely, and is hard for those who love us. It is hard to live with. How Can You Help Someone Get Up? Depression can be overcome. It can be lived with. It can be better. You can help and be part of the solution for someone. You can be a support and a light. We are the hands and feet of God; we are His people and we are filled with His Spirit. God made clear that we are to be a community of believers. He made it clear that none should stand alone, for this world is fraught with hardships. God wants you to get up and help others to do the same. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV) How can we be that cord of three? Mostly, it’s a willingness to be awkward and real. Truth is powerful and wonderful when used to help others. Listen I will always remember when a friend sat me down and asked me seriously “How are you?” and then followed it up with “I really want to know because I think you are not happy.” She invited me to tell her the truth of how I was. Safely, and in a quiet and private atmosphere. I was free to answer and blubber as much as I needed (which was quite a lot as it turned out). Then she asked if my husband knew how much I was struggling, how she could help me, what did I need. And, feeling safe, I answered her. I told her that I wouldn’t do anything to help myself, that I couldn’t, that I was utterly stuck. That I needed help but had no way to reach for it. That no one really knew how I was struggling at that moment, certainly not my husband, since I was trying desperately to hide it from him. This friend listened to it all. She heard. And she told me she would follow up with me to see if I got help. And she did. That she wanted my permission to call my husband and tell him that I needed help. And she did. Care Do you know someone who struggles with depression? Can you find a time and place to honestly and openly talk to them? To let them know that you are willing to help, to listen, to care? For you will likely have to go to them, they will not come to you. You might have to start the conversation, I know I would never have done so. Ask them how you can tell when they are really struggling, how they want you to react when you see the signs, who they need you to tell if you are really hurting. And let them know you are praying for them. It will mean the world to them, it did for me. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 (NIV) Read more about being stuck in a rut.
Communion Is All About The Heart
The Last Supper Go out, order in, buy a few pizzas, cook a big meal? It only took 3 rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors to make the decision, but a fancy meal at home it was. An Easter dinner in our home complete with ham, sweet potato casserole, spoon-bread, and all the fixings, was just what I craved. What is it that makes these meals so special? I don’t think it’s the food. I think it’s the heart. How often do we set out to make what we know is supposed to be a special meal? The mundane every-night dinner is more of a chore than a gift, and that’s what this Easter meal was for me, a gift to my family. When you really think on it, that’s what the Last Supper was, a gift from Jesus to His family. A special moment that came from the heart. It was more about the heart of Jesus than it was about what they consumed. Even today, the heart of that meal means more than the bread and juice. The community that was shared at that table and today in our church home. The closeness of the bond that they shared, and that we now share. The Communion Moment There are times when I crave more from this moment in church; I think that’s my Roman Catholic upbringing. There are times when I want the formal phrases, the transformation of the host and the wine, the familiarity of the ritual. But those words aren’t what Jesus gave us. Those rituals weren’t the purpose of that meal. The only thing Jesus asked was that we would share the bread and wine in remembrance of Him. Luke 22:19 says, “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” There is no ritual, no fancy wording, just a simple statement of love and a request. I think back on how shocking it was to be in a church where there was no ceremony, ritual, or buildup to communion. No hoops to jump through. No sacrament you have to take to be able to accept communion. It was odd, and then it became normal. Why should there be anything that delays us from fulfilling Jesus’ request? When you come to communion with the right heart and a desire to remember all that Jesus has done for us, what more weight could or should be placed on this moment? Then I had children…and all of a sudden I felt a need for rules. Guidelines. A set of directions for how to bring them to this moment of sharing in the community of Christ. My Southern Baptist husband was no help. At all. His upbringing makes him say crazy things like they’ll come to it in their own time. Or it has to be their choice. Wait, what?! And all over again, like Baptism (that’s a whole ‘nother story), I am rethinking what communion means, what our part in it is. I realized that I really counted on having a planned set of steps for the kids to climb. Instead, I have to follow the path of faith alone. I can prepare myself and I can prepare our children to understand what communion is. Why it is. What it means. It has all been given to us, it’s all in the Bible: While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat, this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26: 26-28 When Are You Ready? So then, how can we know when we, or our children, are ready to take part in communion? It’s about the heart. It always has been. When we understand the gift of Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection. When we can absolutely do what Jesus has asked, to remember Him, we are ready. Whether we are young, old, or in between, all we need is a heart prepared to remember and give thanks for the gift that Jesus is to us.