The Nearness of God Leads to Obedience
Obedience isn’t easy. Especially when it requires surrendering control. But the nearness of God—His constant presence—is what equips us to obey. Joshua is a powerful example. He was the one God chose to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land after Moses. At the very beginning of his calling, God told him: “Be strong and courageous.” Why? Because God was going to be with him every step of the way. God never makes us do anything alone. We’re the ones who often choose to go it alone, forgetting that He’s right there with us, waiting for us to lean on Him. Joshua didn’t rely on his own strength—he relied on God’s presence. He walked in obedience even when it meant facing the unknown. And God showed up–again and again. So why is it so hard for us? Why do we cling so tightly to control, even when Scripture is filled with example after example of God’s faithfulness? The proof is there: God provides. He equips. He goes before us. But our desire for control makes us blind to what He’s already done and what He’s ready to do again. True obedience requires surrender. And yes—it can be uncomfortable. But there is peace that comes with obedience. There is blessing that follows surrender. Think about the Israelites as they approached the Jordan River, the final barrier before entering the Promised Land. The river was raging, impassable. But they carried the Ark of the Covenant—the symbol of God’s presence—and stepped forward in faith. And what happened? The waters parted. Just like He did at the Red Sea, God made a way. They walked into their promise because they walked in obedience. Walking in obedience won’t always be easy. But when you trust God, when you step forward with faith like Joshua, you’ll find that He provides all the strength He requires of you. Every time. So… what’s holding you back? Let it go. Step forward. Be strong. Be courageous. Walk in obedience—because God is with you.
Importance Of Baptism: A Call To Follow Jesus’ Example
Baptism is an essential part of the Christian faith. It is a powerful symbol of our faith and obedience to Jesus Christ. One of the most profound moments in Scripture regarding baptism is found in Matthew 3:15. In this verse, we see Jesus Himself being baptized by his cousin John the Baptist, even though He was without sin. Why did Jesus, the Son of God, choose to be baptized? The answer lies in His perfect example for us, and the deep spiritual significance it holds for our walk with God. What Does A Symbol Have To Do With Baptism? In Matthew 3:15, we read: “But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John consented.” Here, Jesus’ words are key. He tells John that it is necessary for them to fulfill all righteousness through baptism. Even though Jesus had no sin to repent of, He chose to be baptized to set an example for us. His obedience to the Father’s will, even in this symbolic act, teaches us the importance of surrendering to God’s plan for our lives. Why Should We Be Baptized? Following Jesus’ Example Jesus’ baptism marks the beginning of His public ministry. By following His lead, we identify with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection. Because baptism is a way for us to publicly declare our faith in Jesus Christ, acknowledging that we are part of His body and His mission in the world. Just as Jesus obeyed the will of the Father, we too are called to be obedient through baptism. A Step of Obedience Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. It is a step of obedience in response to God’s call for us to follow Him. In Acts 2:38, Peter tells the people to “repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” So baptism doesn’t save us. Rather, it is a public acknowledgment of the salvation we already have in Jesus. It is a way to demonstrate our commitment to living for Him. A Symbol of Our New Life Baptism is not just a ritual; it is a powerful symbol. Going under the water represents being buried with Christ in His death. Coming out of the water symbolizes our resurrection with Him into new life. Through baptism, we are reminded of the transformation that takes place in us when we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord. As Romans 6:4 says, “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” A Public Confession of Faith Baptism is a public confession of our faith. In Matthew 10:32, Jesus says, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” Because we choose to be baptized, we are publicly declaring our faith in Christ, showing the world that we belong to Him. It is a powerful testimony to others of the grace and mercy we have received and a step of courage in our walk with God. It’s Just The Beginning Therefore, baptism is not just a tradition or a ritual; it is an act of obedience and faith. Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:15 demonstrates His submission to the Father’s will, setting an example for us to follow. It is an essential step in our Christian journey, representing our identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Through baptism, we publicly declare our faith, commit to a life of obedience, and embrace the new life that Christ has given us. If you haven’t been baptized, I encourage you to take this step of faith. It is a beautiful and significant act that marks the beginning of your walk with Christ. Since Jesus set the example for us, let us follow in His footsteps and obey His call to be baptized. Learn More About Baptism At The Village I’M READY TO BE BAPTIZED
Recovering Perfectionist Under Construction
Hi, I’m Erica, and I am a recovering perfectionist! Can you relate? Since my earliest memories, I have been drawn to perfection. As a kid, I despised the idea of a toy box! All of those random toys just tossed in one big box in such a haphazard way! What a terrible idea! When my oldest was a toddler I started a system with shoebox-sized totes for each of his toys. I labeled them with clip art of the toy it contained; legos, potato head, etc. I was the living example of a place for everything and everything in its place. A clean house, a clean refrigerator, and clean sheets make me happy. I love clean lines and hate clutter. I didn’t realize how rigid and structured my life was until I started having kids. Nothing throws “the plan” for your life into a fiery tailspin faster than those tiny, sticky, boogery, clumsy, inquisitive, adorable, little humans you created. Your standards must be lowered whether you want them to be or not. Your very sanity depends on it. Hitting A Low Being A Perfectionist I hit a low one morning when my twins were about a year old and my oldest was four. The kitchen floor was so sticky that I put slippers on so that I wouldn’t have to suffer through the sensation of the unidentifiable goo that was holding my barefoot to the floor! My one-year-old son was crawling around eating goldfish crackers off the dining room floor from the day before. My blood pressure went up and I wanted to scoop him up and start sweeping and mopping the floor, but I was tired, and I knew it would be hard work that would be undone in an instant when the next full bowl of cereal went crashing to the floor. Instead, I let him do it. Not my best moment; I’m not bragging here, but I had this thought, “It won’t kill him! He’s not crying, and he’s actually cleaning up the floor, and I drank my coffee.” That day was the beginning of a revelation for me that is still growing. My desire for everything to be balanced, efficient, clean, and perfect was an impossible and unrealistic goal. I could not ever achieve what my mind craved. It left me feeling defeated, frustrated and irritated. It constantly distracted me from the good things that were happening on the sticky floors of my home. Why Am I Like This? After my oldest child was diagnosed with cancer, this truth hit me even harder. The to-do list, the freshly mowed grass, the flowers actually getting watered after they were planted, the checkbook balanced to the penny and the meal plan actually being executed didn’t matter anymore. Being a perfectionist didn’t matter anymore. People and time were what mattered. However, I swung too far the other way. I got into an “all or nothing” mode of thinking. I knew that I could not perform tasks to the level that I wanted to, so I was paralyzed into not starting things at all. That was hard on my mind as well. I still had perfectionist thoughts and desires, but now I was feeling guilty for them. I started to dislike myself and be upset by my own personality. Self-critical, another trait I have since learned belongs to a true perfectionist. I would think “Why am I like this?!” He Is A Perfector Of Your Faith God gently showed me one day that loving things that are perfect is not a bad thing. He is perfect in all His ways. He designed me (and you) with purpose and intention. My grace is sufficient for you; for My strength and power are made PERFECT in your weakness. – 2 Corinthians 12:9 My love for perfection was placed in me by God so that I would be drawn to Him; not a spotless, Pinterest worthy kitchen. In the past I would seek fulfillment in things like a clean car, and then it would rain, or the kids would spill a drink and that achievement was gone. I was seeking contentment in things that wouldn’t last, and was always left feeling empty. When I discovered God was THE ONLY PERFECT THING in my life, and directed my desire and disappointment toward Him, everything changed. I found true contentment in all of the messy, imperfect things around me. I still struggle. I’m not claiming that all is easy. I just have balance now, and when I feel myself being pulled toward my old tendencies, I now know how to redirect those toward God. Honestly, it’s Him I’m actually craving! It’s the peace, that only He can provide, that passes all understanding. He is the Rock, His work is PERFECT, for all His ways are law and justice. – Deuteronomy 32:4 I’m not advising you to let your children eat off the floor, but I am advising you to put your desires on the only PERFECT one, God himself. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:2
When Life Doesn’t Go According To Plan
This past Sunday, I did what I always do. We finished our worship planning meeting at 8 am, and I headed to the prayer room to pray before services. Every week I do this, it’s part of the plan. Lilye, our Prayer Pastor, and our Prayer Team get together and pray over the day. Today was different. As I walked in, Lilye and her husband Sonny were on their knees praying to God. We had never been on knees praying before. Frankly, I needed to get on my knees and humble myself before the Lord because I had taken the first part of my day to tell God how stupid it was for Him to send snow on one of our biggest outreach days (the Easter Egg Hunt) of the year! ? I was making it all about my plans. Get On Your Knees When Your Plan Isn’t Working So I kneeled along with Lilye and Sonny and began to pray. One by one our Prayer Team came into the room and by the end of our time, every single one of them were on their knees. We were crying out to God and asking for His will to be done! I was so humbled and realized I was so wrong when I told God what I thought about how sending the snow was stupid. At that moment, I was so thankful for our leaders who led me to the right action. Despite the horrible weather outside, it was one of our best days as a church. People worshipped with passion, visitors came and were welcomed, friends encouraged and supported friends, an amazing message was delivered that would inspire many, and we had an incredible baptism. Have you ever thought things weren’t going to work out…and they did…according to God’s plan? Have you ever thought, “If God would just do things the way I have them planned out, this would work a lot better?”…but then realized that you’re not God and you need to stop acting that way. Can you relate? If the answer is yes, be reminded of the scripture below… “IF my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Trust Your Gut
I should have trusted my gut and went with it. It was Friday afternoon in late October. I was in the middle of a difficult recovery from my second knee surgery. I could not drive, so my father-in-law was my chauffeur. We just got home from a long day of physical therapy and doctors appointments in a town forty minutes away from home. My pain meds were wearing off and I was struggling to get up my front steps on crutches. My three kids and mother-in-law met me at the door. The kids were excited and full of the kind of energy that 3 pm on a Friday brings. They were telling me stories and firing questions at me faster than I could process. When You Have To Decide My phone kept dinging, so I checked it to see that my oldest son, a 6th grader at the time, was being invited to a drive-in movie with his friend. The friend’s mom was texting me to get permission to take him. However, the movie they were going to see was a scary movie, that we typically would not allow our son to watch. My husband was at a Cubs game and I could not reach him to get a second opinion on this decision. My gut said NO! Making matters even more intense, the other mom texted me again saying, “What did you decide? No pressure, but we are in your driveway.” No pressure huh? This made my decision even harder. I tend to be very strict with the rules in our house and had only seconds to go over the pros and cons. I felt like caving into the pressure of not wanting to always be the “fun killer” so I told my son yes and sent him out the door. The Consequences When he returned late that night, everything fell apart! He was terrified by the movie he saw and he vomited from binging on soda and junk food. He slept in my bed and neither of us rested that night. The nightmares continued for months and he was even afraid during the day. Not only did I feel terrible because he was struggling with fear, I felt awful because I knew what was best for him, but I compromised my rules due to the circumstances of the moment. As we worked through the consequences of this bad decision, I was reminded of how God cares for us. So many times we think we know what we want in the moment. We pray for things that seem like they will bring us joy, but we, like my child, don’t realize the consequences of the answer that we want. I knew this movie was scary and that my son was prone to be easily influenced by scary things. I knew he shouldn’t watch it, but I let him anyway. God Always Knows God always knows what is best for us. He knows the long term impact of things in our lives. When He says NO, we need to trust that He knows what He is doing because He loves us and protects us from things we are not even aware of. I use this example frequently now with my pre-teen son. He wants to do things, go places, watch certain things, and many times the answer is No. When he’s tempted to give me an attitude and accuse me of being put on earth to ruin his fun, I remind him to trust me. I’m protecting him from dangers that he is too small to understand. The same is true for our Father in Heaven. Are you getting a “NO” from God? Or a “not now” I challenge you to lean into that No. Trust that God has a good plan for you and He is protecting you in every situation. ‘For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you’ says the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’. Jeremiah 29:11 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
You Will Do Even Greater Things
I’m a visual learner. Always have been. Draw something on a piece of paper and I’ll understand it much better than you telling me with words. So one of my mentors drew this picture on a piece of paper a few months ago. The first picture represents the church trying to get people to attend. This is great! I love this, but the second picture totally blew my mind. What if we looked at the church differently? What if we decided that instead of trying to get people to attend, we instead sent ourselves out to engage with our community? Releasing ordinary people into their communities to multiply the gospel wherever they go! I love this language! What if instead of people coming to hear 1 person speak, we had thousands of people going out and speaking to thousands of people in their sphere of influence? In John 14:12 Jesus was preparing his disciples for his death. In the first part of chapter 14, he says (my interpretation): Don’t worry. I’m going to die and be raised again. Then I’m going to heaven and will prepare a place for you and come back to take you there. In other words…your eternity is set. But until that occurs, here’s what I want you to do… Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. – John 14:12 (NIV) This is mind-blowing. Jesus is saying…you will do even GREATER THINGS than me. This is the same guy who raised people from the dead, gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk again and fed thousands with just a few pieces of bread and a few fish. How is this possible? Because the goal for the disciples and the goal for us (as disciples) is to engage our world, our neighborhood, our friends, our neighbors with our love for Jesus. When His love breaks through, miracles occur. Marriages are healed, people find salvation and their eternity is changed, kids grow up to be leaders, adults serve others less fortunate, the world gets better day after day as more and more ordinary people are released to do even GREATER THINGS for Christ. Guess what…that means you have an opportunity today, right now..to make a difference for Christ. Take this day and be on the lookout for opportunities to represent Christ well. I guarantee you will have opportunity after opportunity. Step forward with courage and allow God to use you today!