Do you know why giving the Lord thanks is such an important response for us as we encounter challenges in our lives? The reason is that this act of faith puts God in control and removes us from having the final word on whether our experience is beneficial or not. Here are a few passages that communicates this truth loud and clear:
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. (James 1:2-3)
Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. (1 Thessalonians 5:17 The Message)
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (1 Peter 1:6-7).
This Sunday we will give you the opportunity to take such steps of faith by sharing your testimonies of trust, thanksgiving, and requests for prayer as we celebrate the Thanks-giving season by having an open microphone time in the morning service. So, what will you give God thanks for this Sunday? Start preparing by giving thanks today.
The memory verse for November—“Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart..” 2 Timothy 2:22
Posted by Sandra on 11/20 at 09:53 AM in
Trials & Tests •
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One of the greatest challenges we can experience is to stand in the minority when it comes to our views. This challenge is heightened when we are in a position of leadership. Such was the great challenge that confronted Aaron who stood before thousands who were crying for what he knew was not right, but he did not want to be in the position of an unpopular leader.
As our society continues to drift from rooting its moral standards in the Bible it is becoming more clear that we will have to stand against the tide in respect to such issues as truth vs. tolerance, marriage vs. cohabitation, sex only in marriage vs. premarital sex, heterosexuality vs. homosexuality, the sanctity of life vs. abortion, and many more issues. Are we ready to stand against the thousands who will confront us with the cry heard by Aaron—“Come, make us a god…” who is different than the true & living God whom you serve (Exodus 32:1).
The only possible way for us to stand against such a challenge, such pressure is for us to be constantly growing in our knowledge of who this God is. I believe that we are presently in the golden age of Bible communication where we can get truth via various avenues if we will but allow ourselves such access. At the same time almost every American has easy and inexpensive access to a Bible. Are you taking the time to daily gain truth from the Master? What I believe is the greatest way to gain such knowledge today though, is through the teaching ministries of local churches. Here you can not only get teaching but you can also ask questions thereby tailoring the process to address your specific issues. Are you utilizing such avenues of truth? Are you a member of a LIFE Group, do you attend Jesus University classes on Sunday morning, are you weekly attending Sunday worship service ready with a pen & paper to take notes?
Please note that Aaron heard the commandment to not make or worship any graven images of Yahweh (Exodus 20:4-6) and then received a vision of God that showed him that Yahweh was above all creation (Exodus 24:18) before he was confronted by his challenge. Therefore, let us consider this important pattern that we gain biblical truth so that we might then have it kneaded into our lives by the gentle hands of our Heavenly Father as we are challenged through situations we encounter daily.
The memory verse for November—“Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart..” 2 Timothy 2:22
Posted by Sandra on 11/18 at 02:49 PM in
Trials & Tests •
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“I have lost God.” I know that we would not want to say that but most of us at some point in our daily trek lose touch with a clear and conscious awareness of God’s presence. Even though such passages as Joshua 1:9; Psalm 23; Matthew 28:20; John 14:16 assure us that God’s presence is always with us, we are not always aware of that presence.
One of the major reasons for this outlook is that we often slip into self reliance outlook on life. It is easy to think ‘we can handle this.’ No wonder God allowed Moses to fail in trying to help deliver his people through his own power so that he might be fully aware of his need for God’s empowerment. No wonder Moses then responded “Who am I” to God’s commission for him to go and deliver Israel from under Egypt’s oppression.
How has your day begun? Have you started it off by connecting with God? If not it is not too late.
As you go through the day take some time to stop and ‘find’ God. That may mean turning your car radio off in order to talk to and hear from God as you travel, or praying before every new task you begin, or spending a few moments thanking God through the situations that you encounter today, or selecting a verse to memorize throughout the day in those slower moments. Whatever your approach is, I pray that you will not have a moment this day when you realize “I have lost God.”
The memory verse for November—“ Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22).
Posted by Sandra on 11/03 at 11:13 AM in
Perspective •
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Peter commands us in 1 Peter 5:6 to ‘humble’ ourselves under God, but why is this such an important command in order for us to survive during challenging times? The reason is that the Greek word denotes an act of dependence, or submission to the will of God. Such action moves us to place our full trust in God that He is both capable of controlling & using our situation to bring about His goals, and that His actions are motivated by His love for us as He takes us through these challenging times.
As we face the challenges before us this day, and we will face challenges, remember that our first response to them should be to communicate to the Father in prayer so that we might humble ourselves to His lead. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6
Are you investing wisely?
INVEST in someone and INVITE them to church
Posted by Sandra on 10/21 at 10:36 AM in
Prayer •
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The challenge we focused on yesterday was based on 1 Peter 5:6—7 as we were challenged to ’Lose Control.’ We have been raised to think that we must daily be in total control of our lives and all that influences it. But let me relieve you from this false pressure as the new week begins—‘You can let go, you are not in control. Prayerfully cast your challenges to God. He is the only one who is totally in control.’
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” Get ready for a life changing paradigm switch on your existence as we will all have “One Month to Live” in January!
Posted by Sandra on 10/21 at 09:31 AM in
Prayer •
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“Life does to you what life finds in you.” As much as we may not like to admit it, this is a very accurate saying. But there is a major change in this statement for those who are Christians for life can only do to us what God allows. Yet even as Christians we can get stressed out by what God allows, can’t we? So the change I would make to this saying is “Life does to Christians what they have allowed Christ to put in them.”
Jesus tells us through a parable in Luke 18:1-8 that a major way in which God builds Christ likeness into our lives is through our persistency in praying to Him. Our persistency in seeking God to provide our needs and to care for us is such a key indicator that Jesus states that it will be a key indicator when He returns of just how real our faith is. For that reason He ends His parable with this incredible statement—“When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
So, what are you allowing Christ to place in your life? Are you praying? Please take some time today to pray like your life depended on it, for it does!
Get ready for a life changing paradigm switch on life as we will all have “One Month To Live” in January!
Posted by Sandra on 10/17 at 04:36 PM in
Prayer •
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This past Sunday we looked at the fact that for every one of us we are living with summation of life that is ‘Two Dates & A Dash.’ Some day when we stand before God we will not have to give an explanation for the two dates, but we will have to give one for the dash. How did we live our lives.
We can live it for the Splash—seeking to make a big impression and to gain a sense of significance—but that will result in disappointment for life is more than the trinkets we pick up. We can live our life for the Flash—seeking to get involved with the next big event, trend, or phenomenon hoping that it will make us excited about life—but this approach only give us a temporary buzz. Yet, as we noted in the life of Zaccheus life is really to be viewed as the Stash for it is so valuable that we must give it God’s value and invest it in eternity (Luke 19:1—6).
Are you viewing life as Stash? Are you seeking to let God have as much of it as He can in order to maximize your investment? A quick indicator of how well you’re doing is to answer the question “Did I ask the Lord to guide me so that I would give Him a chance to act in everything I did and said today?” If you didn’t pray this prayer at the beginning of the day, it is not too late.
Get ready for a life changing paradigm switch on life as we will all have “One Month To Live” in January!
Posted by Sandra on 10/09 at 02:41 PM in
Perspective •
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The amazing thing about dynamite is that it does so much with the user doing so little. All you have to do is to trust its ability to do what it does best (blow up), to transform an item, and to bring about the desired result.
No wonder Paul used dynamite as his descriptive of the confident trust he had in the gospel—“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
The amazing thing about the gospel is that it does so much with the user doing so little. Look for opportunities to prove its power today. Hand someone a tract, take a few moments to share your testimony, give someone an invitation to the Health Fair/Yard Sale this Saturday or to Friends Sunday this Sunday so that they might encounter the gospel. All you have to do is to trust its ability to do what it does best—to transform a life and to bring about God’s desired result.
Are you investing wisely? INVEST in someone and INVITE them to church.
This month’s memory verse (2 Timothy 2:21— NASB)
“Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.”
Posted by Sandra on 10/02 at 08:39 AM in
Outreach •
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“History is the story of God giving away power.” —Philip Yancey
This is no where more clearly seen than in Jesus’ sharing power with His disciples to go and tell others that they can have their sins removed through a relationship with God the Father through His son Jesus.
So, take a moment and pray that the Lord will give you the opportunity to use His power this day to invest in someone around you and to invite them to Jesus or to church.
Are you investing wisely?
Friends Sunday—October 5th. INVEST in someone and INVITE them to church.
Posted by Sandra on 09/23 at 09:14 AM in
Outreach •
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The psalm we looked at yesterday, Psalm 131, was one of the fifteen “Psalms of Ascent.” These were psalms (Psalms 120—134) that were believed to be sung by the Jewish pilgrims as they traveled to the temple in Jerusalem. It is even believed that each one of these fifteen psalms were sung for each of the fifteen steps that led up the temple proper.
Therefore, Psalm 131 highlights to us just how serious David was about the people of God remembering not to trust in themselves but to hope/wait in God. As our week begins let us remember the words of Psalm 131—“Wait, Israel, for GOD. Wait with hope. Hope now; hope always!” (from The Message)
Are you investing wisely?
Friends Sunday—October 5th. INVEST in someone and INVITE them to church.
Posted by Sandra on 09/18 at 02:52 PM in
Perspective •
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When you think of a successful person, who comes to mind? Is it a celebrity, a politician, a business person, an athlete, someone you presently/formerly worked for? Do you know that even this person of respect and possibly even envy is presented in Scripture as someone who is ‘messed up’?
Paul realized this as he examined his own heart without the touch of God’s grace—“So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not” (Romans 7:17—18).
Remember to pray as you start your day that the Lord will give you opportunities to highlight His grace by showing others their need of Him. One of the highlights of my day yesterday was to share with a fellow soccer dad that he was “messed up,” en route to then telling him how he could be “cleaned up” through trusting in Jesus. Although our conversation did not result in a prayer of acceptance of God’s grace, I know that the seed is planted for the Lord to water and grow in His perfect timing.
I pray that you will have the blessing this day of sharing the gospel, your testimony, a tract, or an invitation to church with someone so that God might use your obedience.
His,
Are you investing wisely?
Friends Sunday—October 5th. INVEST in someone and INVITE them to church.
Posted by Sandra on 09/10 at 09:42 AM in
Outreach •
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On Sunday we noted that “Christianity is all about confidence.” It is a faith relationship with God that challenges every Christian to focus not on what they do to establish this relationship but on what God has done for them. Therefore, we are saved by faith in the finished work of Jesus on our behalf. This is highlighted in the contrast that the message of the gospel is not ‘try harder’ (man centered), but ‘give up’ (God centered).
Isn’t that great news for the Bible tells us that no matter how hard we try we can NEVER earn God’s favor! If you agree that this is great news share it with a friend or acquaintance today.
Our new memory verse for the month of September is 2 Timothy 2:20— “Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor.”
Posted by Sandra on 09/04 at 08:19 AM in
Outreach •
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Did you pray the prayer this morning? It is not too late if you have not. Just ask the Lord to give you opportunities this day to share the gospel verbally or through a tract with someone. Then be ready to bless a life. I pray that you will be blessed today as you follow the Lord in obedience.
Our new memory verse for the month of September is 2 Timothy 2:20— “Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels
of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor.”
Are you investing wisely?
Friends Sunday—October 5th. INVEST in someone and INVITE them to church.
Posted by Sandra on 09/02 at 11:06 AM in
Outreach •
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As we’ve noted earlier, in order to invest one must run the risk of losing that which is considered valuable in order to invest in something/someone of much greater value. Do you realize that we make these kinds of decisions every moment of every day? We choose to get up rather than to continue sleeping in order to invest in our families, careers, or education. We choose to eat rather than to skip meals to invest in our bodies and our continued strength throughout the day. We choose to stop at red lights in order to invest in our continued health rather than in investing our money in a hospital stay or paying a driving ticket. All day, every day we make decisions that show our commitment to investing wisely.
Jesus knew this and His words draw us to invest in that which is the greatest of all investment options—the life that is yet to come. In Matthew 16:24—27 He tells us that no man gives up anything for Jesus that shall not be seen as a better investment.
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Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.”
So, are you investing the valuable things of your life (time, family, money, relationships, kids,… your life itself) in Jesus? Remember, the greatest of all investment options—the life that is yet to come.
Are you investing wisely?
Friends Sunday—October 5th. INVEST in someone and INVITE them to church.
Posted by Sandra on 08/29 at 11:07 AM in
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As close as Moses was to God (God even said “I have known you by name” expressing the intimacy of their relationship in Exodus 33:12), God yet made it clear that He could not fully reveal Himself to Moses because “no man can see Me and live!” (Exodus 33:20). Although he had a uniquely intimate relationship with God Moses could still not get beyond the barrier his sin created between he and the God who loved him.
Another way to describe this relationship is that it is like going over to our best friend’s house but not being allowed to enter the house. We could only speak on the porch. Yet this was pretty good seeing that everyone else had to stay outside the gate and was not even allowed into the yard. But the intimacy that is now the norm for Christians is far greater than any of these interactions in that we are family. We now live in the house. Here are a few incredible passages to show us our present positions since we are in Christ:
“No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him” —John 1:18
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:1-6
Don’t allow the challenges of the past, the day, or tomorrows yet to come steal the greatness of your relationship with the God who loves you.
“for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:21
Posted by Sandra on 08/22 at 11:07 AM in
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