I began teaching the high school sunday school class at our church at the beginning of this month. They were studying Acts, which is a book that I really like, so I decicded to continue this study.
A friend of mine turned me onto an excellent professor at Ozark Christian College, Mark Moore, who has posted his lectures online (www.markmoore.org) and he has a course on Acts. Mr. Moore has so much knowledge, including interpretations of the original greek words, his lectures are incredibly interesting.
I was afraid that the high schoolers in my class would not want to listen to a college course for their sunday school lessons. Not only do they enjoy listening, they voted to start at the beginning of the study instead of picking up at chapter 8 where the teacher before me had left off. We are really enjoying this lecture series and each week I am amazed at the level of knowledge Mr. Moore has on his subject area. He makes studying the Bible fun even at a nitty gritty level. Often he will spend many minutes on one passage or even one word in the book. He goes to great length to discuss how we can be certain that Luke is the author of both Luke and Acts. Also, Moore stresses that the importance of studying this book for Americans is huge because it is the book that concerns salvation for Gentiles which most of us are.
If you have a chance, download some of these MP3 files from www.markmoore.org under resources and enjoy learning the Bible in a really in depth unique way.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Find a church that fits!
For a couple years right after our daughter was born my husband and I quit going to church. My hometown church, from when I was little, had disbanded and the church that I tried next was not inviting or good for my spirit.
I knew that I would not settle for a church that didn't feel like a family, the way that the one I grew up in did. Also, it is really easy to get into the habit of sleeping in on Sunday mornings. While I was not attending anywhere I could feel the void in my life. My comfortable conversations with God happened less and less. I knew that I was not setting a good example for my husband (who did not grow up in the church)or the children. The Holy Spirit nagged at me and told me every Sunday that I needed a church.
God stepped in and took over in only the important way that He can. He used my best friend, Leah. Leah and I were very close in every aspect of our lives except for religion. She was raised Lutheran and had attended a local church in Des Moines that she and her mother had gone to since Leah was younger. She knew I was a minister's daughter and in fact, my dad had married her and her husband. She called me about the Bible only when she had questions like, "Does it really say this?" One day she recieved a letter from her church telling her that they had cancelled her membership because she had not met her giving pledge for the year. She called me in tears and we talked about how I didn't feel that was a very Christian thing to do and that no, not all churches operated like that. We sort of bonded over our personal definitions of what it means to be a Christian and what one looks for in a church.
I told her how I had been feeling that I needed to get my kids in church because it was weighing heavy on my heart that I was not making that a manditory part of their lives. We decided that we would look for a church together. We tried a few and settled on Franklin Avenue Christian Church in Des Moines. In that church body we found exactly what I was looking for, a family. Leah and I started attending just the two of us and all the kids (together there were 8 of them). Soon, our husbands (who are also best friends) began attending with us and getting involved.
That was over six years ago and now Leah's and my families are completly entrenched in the life at our church. The payoff for getting back in the regular church life is that I have great spiritual people to lean on and learn from, an extended family, prayer warriors who love to pray for me, and very importantly my children are being molded into strong Christian people. My heart almost expolded the other day when my 10 and 11 year old had to write thier definition of what it meant to be smart. They both came up with detailed descriptions of what it means to be wise in the Lord. In this day and age kids of all ages seem to have a sense of entitlement to whatever they want whenever they want it. This flies in the face of Jesus's teachings.
So today my prayer for you is that if you are not regularly attending church that you keep looking until you find one that is a fit for you. Even if you won't do it for yourself, do it for your children!
I knew that I would not settle for a church that didn't feel like a family, the way that the one I grew up in did. Also, it is really easy to get into the habit of sleeping in on Sunday mornings. While I was not attending anywhere I could feel the void in my life. My comfortable conversations with God happened less and less. I knew that I was not setting a good example for my husband (who did not grow up in the church)or the children. The Holy Spirit nagged at me and told me every Sunday that I needed a church.
God stepped in and took over in only the important way that He can. He used my best friend, Leah. Leah and I were very close in every aspect of our lives except for religion. She was raised Lutheran and had attended a local church in Des Moines that she and her mother had gone to since Leah was younger. She knew I was a minister's daughter and in fact, my dad had married her and her husband. She called me about the Bible only when she had questions like, "Does it really say this?" One day she recieved a letter from her church telling her that they had cancelled her membership because she had not met her giving pledge for the year. She called me in tears and we talked about how I didn't feel that was a very Christian thing to do and that no, not all churches operated like that. We sort of bonded over our personal definitions of what it means to be a Christian and what one looks for in a church.
I told her how I had been feeling that I needed to get my kids in church because it was weighing heavy on my heart that I was not making that a manditory part of their lives. We decided that we would look for a church together. We tried a few and settled on Franklin Avenue Christian Church in Des Moines. In that church body we found exactly what I was looking for, a family. Leah and I started attending just the two of us and all the kids (together there were 8 of them). Soon, our husbands (who are also best friends) began attending with us and getting involved.
That was over six years ago and now Leah's and my families are completly entrenched in the life at our church. The payoff for getting back in the regular church life is that I have great spiritual people to lean on and learn from, an extended family, prayer warriors who love to pray for me, and very importantly my children are being molded into strong Christian people. My heart almost expolded the other day when my 10 and 11 year old had to write thier definition of what it meant to be smart. They both came up with detailed descriptions of what it means to be wise in the Lord. In this day and age kids of all ages seem to have a sense of entitlement to whatever they want whenever they want it. This flies in the face of Jesus's teachings.
So today my prayer for you is that if you are not regularly attending church that you keep looking until you find one that is a fit for you. Even if you won't do it for yourself, do it for your children!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Making Connections in Differences
I find it easy to get down on myself with thoughts that I am not doing enough or doing things well enough. I have a father who has been a minister and grandparents that were missionaries to Japan for 50 years and somewhat of a legend in their circles. I will sometimes find myself doubting that I made the right decisions in life because I did not follow directly in their footsteps. My path in life led me to find that I have a talent for math and statistics. I have also discovered that I have a passion and a talent for education. I am one of the rare people who get to say that they love their job. Because I enjoy what I do, does not mean that I have made a wrong choice in life. There are passages in the Bible that tell people like me that it is okay to have different talents.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (NIV) says:
"There are different kids of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men."
I find great comfort in this verse because it quiets the doubt that arises within me sometimes. Self doubt can be paralyzing and can cause us to go backwards or just not go anywhere at all. The Bible shows us that we all have different gifts but if we rely on the one and only Lord we can be glorifying Him in whatever we do.
So, no matter where your talents lie, take Him with you; to the office, the sports team, or the gym. Let God shine through your daily activities. Use your gifts, just make sure that you recognize who they come from!
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (NIV) says:
"There are different kids of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men."
I find great comfort in this verse because it quiets the doubt that arises within me sometimes. Self doubt can be paralyzing and can cause us to go backwards or just not go anywhere at all. The Bible shows us that we all have different gifts but if we rely on the one and only Lord we can be glorifying Him in whatever we do.
So, no matter where your talents lie, take Him with you; to the office, the sports team, or the gym. Let God shine through your daily activities. Use your gifts, just make sure that you recognize who they come from!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Traveling, traveling
I usually fly somewhere about once every two years and this last two weeks I spent 11 days away from home. This required 8 take-offs and landings and multiple time changes.
I have an uncle who does this kind of travel on a regular basis and I have a new appreciation for how hard it is to be living on the move. While I was gone and was getting weary I thought of how the apostles must have felt as they traveled across two continents spreading the word of Jesus's sacrifice for us and nurturing new churches.
I was interested to find that in the book of Acts alone the word travel or some form of it appears 15 times. There was a bunch of traveling going on back then and to think that they did it on foot or on animals just blows my mind. It was a lot easier to perservere through my weak times on the road knowing that I had it really easy compared to those who started Christianity that lives on in my time today.
I encourage you to reflect on what is making you weary this week and look for strength in the Word. The Holy Spirit gives me peace when I turn to the right sources for this strength. God is so good1!!
(This is really my post from last week as I am a little behind getting things typed up.)
I have an uncle who does this kind of travel on a regular basis and I have a new appreciation for how hard it is to be living on the move. While I was gone and was getting weary I thought of how the apostles must have felt as they traveled across two continents spreading the word of Jesus's sacrifice for us and nurturing new churches.
I was interested to find that in the book of Acts alone the word travel or some form of it appears 15 times. There was a bunch of traveling going on back then and to think that they did it on foot or on animals just blows my mind. It was a lot easier to perservere through my weak times on the road knowing that I had it really easy compared to those who started Christianity that lives on in my time today.
I encourage you to reflect on what is making you weary this week and look for strength in the Word. The Holy Spirit gives me peace when I turn to the right sources for this strength. God is so good1!!
(This is really my post from last week as I am a little behind getting things typed up.)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Cabin Fever in Your Christian Life
At this time in the year (especially after a long hard winter) it is easy to tell that the lack of fresh air is getting to most living things. My plants are all frozen and covered in snow (if they are outside) and droopy and sad-looking if they are inside. My dogs have begun trying to dig holes in the wood floors and have become experts at sighing. My cats meow to go out and then come right back in meowing even more and I am convinced that they are complaining to me about how beautiful the sun looks and how it is just a mirage that it looks warm outside. My children can't go five minutes without arguing with each other and they have started finding outside activities (like basketball) that they try to do indoors. Not to mention the fact that all of the inside activities are getting worn out because there have been so many days, weeks, and months that they have been stranded inside for most of the time. In Iowa we call this cabin fever. Keeping a good attitude in these times every year requires endurance.
This same type of endurance is required in our Christian walk. I am struck by how many times the authors of the New Testament scriptures mention this. In fact, I find it to be the major theme in 2 Timothy. The list goes on and on but I am going to give the ones that keep me moving. Since there are so many I encourage you to jot them down and use them for motivation and meditation as you are working on your own walk with Christ.
Luke 21:19
1 Cor. 10:13
2 Cor. 1:6, 6:4-10
1 Peter 2:20
2 Timothy 2:11-13, 3:10-14, 4:5
2 Thess. 1:4-7
James 1:2-4
Revelation 2:3
Just like finding ways to squash the feeling of cabin fever in my home helps everyone survive long winters, studying the scriptures, learing more about our Lord, and enduring through the hard times with a Christ-like attitude will strengthen us in Christ and make our walk worth while.
This week my favorite verse from above is this:
"Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will disown us;
if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself."
2 Timothy 2:11-13
Take this little ditty, stick it in your heart and let its words strengthen you and help you stay away from getting cabin fever in your Christian life!!
God Bless
This same type of endurance is required in our Christian walk. I am struck by how many times the authors of the New Testament scriptures mention this. In fact, I find it to be the major theme in 2 Timothy. The list goes on and on but I am going to give the ones that keep me moving. Since there are so many I encourage you to jot them down and use them for motivation and meditation as you are working on your own walk with Christ.
Luke 21:19
1 Cor. 10:13
2 Cor. 1:6, 6:4-10
1 Peter 2:20
2 Timothy 2:11-13, 3:10-14, 4:5
2 Thess. 1:4-7
James 1:2-4
Revelation 2:3
Just like finding ways to squash the feeling of cabin fever in my home helps everyone survive long winters, studying the scriptures, learing more about our Lord, and enduring through the hard times with a Christ-like attitude will strengthen us in Christ and make our walk worth while.
This week my favorite verse from above is this:
"Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will disown us;
if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself."
2 Timothy 2:11-13
Take this little ditty, stick it in your heart and let its words strengthen you and help you stay away from getting cabin fever in your Christian life!!
God Bless
Monday, February 11, 2008
"Mom, You Have Wrinkles"
One thing about stressing honesty with your children is that you will get it in the good times and the bad. I can count on my kids to tell me the absolute truth about my weight, my looks, and yes, even my skin.
The other day my youngest was sitting on my lap putting in my earings when she looked at my face, got a puzzled look on her face and said, "Mom, you have wrinkles."
I am just over thirty so this is a new one for me. I knew they were there but I am more used to dealing with the fat issue not the wrinkles issue. Usually, I don't mind getting older because there is an element of respect that comes with age but the whole body falling apart thing bothers me. I want to live to see 100 so I think it's only right that I should not have to show signs of wear and tear until I am at least 50, right? Hah!!
As it turns out people in Jesus's time had these same issues and there is a passage that helps me deal with this aging body. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
How perfect is that? So, put this little ditty in your scripture arsenal and the next time your friend offers to take you to get your mustache waxed you can whip it out and say, "Maybe next time."
Have a wonderful week!!
The other day my youngest was sitting on my lap putting in my earings when she looked at my face, got a puzzled look on her face and said, "Mom, you have wrinkles."
I am just over thirty so this is a new one for me. I knew they were there but I am more used to dealing with the fat issue not the wrinkles issue. Usually, I don't mind getting older because there is an element of respect that comes with age but the whole body falling apart thing bothers me. I want to live to see 100 so I think it's only right that I should not have to show signs of wear and tear until I am at least 50, right? Hah!!
As it turns out people in Jesus's time had these same issues and there is a passage that helps me deal with this aging body. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
How perfect is that? So, put this little ditty in your scripture arsenal and the next time your friend offers to take you to get your mustache waxed you can whip it out and say, "Maybe next time."
Have a wonderful week!!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
You Can't See With Your Eyes Shut - Part Three
**adapted from a sermon by Chad Whitmore (minister of Franklin Avenue Christian Church, Des Moines, Iowa).
Motivating scripture: Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,"
Introduction
As Christians our actions in our relationship with God are often done out of "habituation." This means that we get caught up in the motions of things and want them to be the same as they have always been. We want to go to the same kind of church service, we listen to the same type of sermons, we pray the same prayer at the same time every day and not many other times, just to name a few. We usually have no problem with accepting that God is all powerful but do we think enough about how God feels about us? For me, this was one of those slight changes in thinking that was really profound to me because I realized I didn't often think of how God truly feels about me and what gifts I have from him that make me special.
This week I would like you to think about the POWER of God.
Our God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. Omniscient means "all-knowing" and I think that this is the most common description of God's power. Omnipresent means "ever-present" in all ways. Omnipotent means "all-powerful" or that He can do ANYTHING. He spoke the earth into existence, healed many illnesses including those that still have no cure, made a virgin pregnant, and raised the dead. There are countless current stories about the miracles that are still happening through prayer and Christian intervention.
This power is the driving force behind the first two of hope and worth. Because God is so powerful we can stand firm in our faith and continue to better ourselves through Christ.
Two thousand years ago Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus and gave great emphasis to this point. They, just like us today, had forgotten about this great power and that it was in God that we can take refuge.
This is the point that I think falls the most under the "habituation" category for us. We blindly accept that God is "all-powerful" and we go on about our business. The Bible tells us that we are to focus on this fact and that it should be one of the bases for our faith.
I pray that you all can find comfort in the fact that there is no problem too big for God to take care of. I have seen it in my life and I know that if you pray and watch you will see it too!!!
Have a great week!
Motivating scripture: Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,"
Introduction
As Christians our actions in our relationship with God are often done out of "habituation." This means that we get caught up in the motions of things and want them to be the same as they have always been. We want to go to the same kind of church service, we listen to the same type of sermons, we pray the same prayer at the same time every day and not many other times, just to name a few. We usually have no problem with accepting that God is all powerful but do we think enough about how God feels about us? For me, this was one of those slight changes in thinking that was really profound to me because I realized I didn't often think of how God truly feels about me and what gifts I have from him that make me special.
This week I would like you to think about the POWER of God.
Our God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. Omniscient means "all-knowing" and I think that this is the most common description of God's power. Omnipresent means "ever-present" in all ways. Omnipotent means "all-powerful" or that He can do ANYTHING. He spoke the earth into existence, healed many illnesses including those that still have no cure, made a virgin pregnant, and raised the dead. There are countless current stories about the miracles that are still happening through prayer and Christian intervention.
This power is the driving force behind the first two of hope and worth. Because God is so powerful we can stand firm in our faith and continue to better ourselves through Christ.
Two thousand years ago Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus and gave great emphasis to this point. They, just like us today, had forgotten about this great power and that it was in God that we can take refuge.
This is the point that I think falls the most under the "habituation" category for us. We blindly accept that God is "all-powerful" and we go on about our business. The Bible tells us that we are to focus on this fact and that it should be one of the bases for our faith.
I pray that you all can find comfort in the fact that there is no problem too big for God to take care of. I have seen it in my life and I know that if you pray and watch you will see it too!!!
Have a great week!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
You Can't See With Your Eyes Shut - Part Two
**adapted from a sermon by Chad Whitmore (minister of Franklin Avenue Christian Church, Des Moines, Iowa).
Motivating scripture: Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the workin gof his mighty strength,"
Introduction
As Christians our actions in our relationship with God are often done out of "habituation." This means that we get caught up in the motions of things and want them to be the same as they have always been. We want to go to the same kind of church service, we listen to the same type of sermons, we pray the same prayer at the same time every day and not many other times, just to name a few. We usually have no problem with accepting that God is all powerful but do we think enough about how God feels about us? For me, this was one of those slight changes in thinking that was really profound to me because I realized I didn't often think of how God truly feels about me and what gifts I have from him that make me special.
This week I want you to think about the WORTH that we have to our God.
I believe that so much of our lives are spent thinking about what God is to us that we don't take the time to think about the relationship the other direction. What are we to God? You are WORTH something to God. Not just something but you are something precious to God. That is hard to swallow for me but that is something that we need to focus on for us to really understand our realationship with God. We, Christians, are God's inheritance. He wants us to come to Him. He formed us to have a special relationship with Him. He wants ALL who can to know Him. He will not send Jesus to us until there is not one more heart to be turned.
Luke 12:6-7 tell us that He remembers each of our sorrows and he cares so much about us that he counts the hairs on our heads. This caring that God does for us goes beyond how I feel for my children and how my parents felt for me. Again, this doesn't sit easy with me. How can anyone love me more than my parents or more than I love my children? It seems impossible. But that's where God trumps everything. He makes the impossible possible. He loves you more than you can imagine.
Matthew 13:45-46 also illustrates how God feels for us. In that scripture we see that God gave up everything for us. He sent us Jesus his only son to do what no other man has been able to do or will ever be able to do again, be the perfect sacrifice for all who believe. Jesus was sinless and blameless and was slaughtered for the sake of all mankind. That really hits me at a part in my heart that is hard for me to look at because I always struggle with the thought of giving up a child. The thought of losing one of my own is enough to almost give me physical pain. My heart goes out to those who have lost a child and I pray I never have to experience that. But could one give up their child even as a sacrifice to save another? God did that for me and all others. That is so huge my mind has trouble grasping it.
This subject never ceases to amaze me. While I do believe that I am worth something priceless to God it seems that it is not often a part of my thoughts. I don't really see a reason why we shouldn't think on it every day. What a great reminder of what we are doing here!
My prayer this week is that you rely on the fact that you are worth something great to God to give you peace and feelings of self worth.
If you don't know the Lord all you have to do is pray and ask Him into your life. That is what He is waiting and longing for.
Have a wonderful week!!
Motivating scripture: Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the workin gof his mighty strength,"
Introduction
As Christians our actions in our relationship with God are often done out of "habituation." This means that we get caught up in the motions of things and want them to be the same as they have always been. We want to go to the same kind of church service, we listen to the same type of sermons, we pray the same prayer at the same time every day and not many other times, just to name a few. We usually have no problem with accepting that God is all powerful but do we think enough about how God feels about us? For me, this was one of those slight changes in thinking that was really profound to me because I realized I didn't often think of how God truly feels about me and what gifts I have from him that make me special.
This week I want you to think about the WORTH that we have to our God.
I believe that so much of our lives are spent thinking about what God is to us that we don't take the time to think about the relationship the other direction. What are we to God? You are WORTH something to God. Not just something but you are something precious to God. That is hard to swallow for me but that is something that we need to focus on for us to really understand our realationship with God. We, Christians, are God's inheritance. He wants us to come to Him. He formed us to have a special relationship with Him. He wants ALL who can to know Him. He will not send Jesus to us until there is not one more heart to be turned.
Luke 12:6-7 tell us that He remembers each of our sorrows and he cares so much about us that he counts the hairs on our heads. This caring that God does for us goes beyond how I feel for my children and how my parents felt for me. Again, this doesn't sit easy with me. How can anyone love me more than my parents or more than I love my children? It seems impossible. But that's where God trumps everything. He makes the impossible possible. He loves you more than you can imagine.
Matthew 13:45-46 also illustrates how God feels for us. In that scripture we see that God gave up everything for us. He sent us Jesus his only son to do what no other man has been able to do or will ever be able to do again, be the perfect sacrifice for all who believe. Jesus was sinless and blameless and was slaughtered for the sake of all mankind. That really hits me at a part in my heart that is hard for me to look at because I always struggle with the thought of giving up a child. The thought of losing one of my own is enough to almost give me physical pain. My heart goes out to those who have lost a child and I pray I never have to experience that. But could one give up their child even as a sacrifice to save another? God did that for me and all others. That is so huge my mind has trouble grasping it.
This subject never ceases to amaze me. While I do believe that I am worth something priceless to God it seems that it is not often a part of my thoughts. I don't really see a reason why we shouldn't think on it every day. What a great reminder of what we are doing here!
My prayer this week is that you rely on the fact that you are worth something great to God to give you peace and feelings of self worth.
If you don't know the Lord all you have to do is pray and ask Him into your life. That is what He is waiting and longing for.
Have a wonderful week!!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
You Can't See With Your Eyes Shut - Part One
**adapted from a sermon by Chad Whitmore (minister of Franklin Avenue Christian Church, Des Moines, Iowa).
Motivating scripture: Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the workin gof his mighty strength,"
Introduction
As Christians our actions in our relationship with God are often done out of "habituation." This means that we get caught up in the motions of things and want them to be the same as they have always been. We want to go to the same kind of church service, we listen to the same type of sermons, we pray the same prayer at the same time every day and not many other times, just to name a few. We usually have no problem with accepting that God is all powerful but do we think enough about how God feels about us? For me, this was one of those slight changes in thinking that was really profound to me because I realized I didn't often think of how God truly feels about me and what gifts I have from him that make me special.
Today I want you to think about the HOPE that we get from God.
This HOPE is that we, as Christians, have the promise of a life beyond this life which means that this is not all there is. A major part of our Christian beliefs is that heaven awaits those who truly believe that Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for your sins. We should then live our lives with that on our heart. We have a hard time believing that we are important enough for an innocent man to die for our sins but that is exactly the wrong way to think. If we were important enough to God why can we not be important to ourselves? We need to take ownership of this hope as if it is our home or our car with our name on the title.
Titus 3:4-7 says that through Jesus we have the hope of eternal life.
1 Timothy 4:10 tells us that the we should labor and strive for full acceptance of the message and for hope. The word labor is included because it is hard work to make this a cornerstone in our lives.
Titus 1:1-2 tells us that this hope has been around since the beginning of time. God planned for this to be an asset to us.
1 Peter 1:3-4 reminds us that we are given a living hope through Jesus Christ. One that gets stronger and never dies.
Put up sticky notes on your mirror, front door, or office computer if you have to but please lets try to make a conscious effort to think of this wonderful gift of hope that was given to us by God through belief in his one and only son who He sacrificed to save us.
Go with God and remember how important you are to HIM!!!
Motivating scripture: Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the workin gof his mighty strength,"
Introduction
As Christians our actions in our relationship with God are often done out of "habituation." This means that we get caught up in the motions of things and want them to be the same as they have always been. We want to go to the same kind of church service, we listen to the same type of sermons, we pray the same prayer at the same time every day and not many other times, just to name a few. We usually have no problem with accepting that God is all powerful but do we think enough about how God feels about us? For me, this was one of those slight changes in thinking that was really profound to me because I realized I didn't often think of how God truly feels about me and what gifts I have from him that make me special.
Today I want you to think about the HOPE that we get from God.
This HOPE is that we, as Christians, have the promise of a life beyond this life which means that this is not all there is. A major part of our Christian beliefs is that heaven awaits those who truly believe that Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for your sins. We should then live our lives with that on our heart. We have a hard time believing that we are important enough for an innocent man to die for our sins but that is exactly the wrong way to think. If we were important enough to God why can we not be important to ourselves? We need to take ownership of this hope as if it is our home or our car with our name on the title.
Titus 3:4-7 says that through Jesus we have the hope of eternal life.
1 Timothy 4:10 tells us that the we should labor and strive for full acceptance of the message and for hope. The word labor is included because it is hard work to make this a cornerstone in our lives.
Titus 1:1-2 tells us that this hope has been around since the beginning of time. God planned for this to be an asset to us.
1 Peter 1:3-4 reminds us that we are given a living hope through Jesus Christ. One that gets stronger and never dies.
Put up sticky notes on your mirror, front door, or office computer if you have to but please lets try to make a conscious effort to think of this wonderful gift of hope that was given to us by God through belief in his one and only son who He sacrificed to save us.
Go with God and remember how important you are to HIM!!!
Back to Start the New Year!!!
I have had a crazy last couple months and when things are so crazy it effects how I think, act and write. I have needed a little time off from everything to just repair my soul. God is great and has brought my family through another amazing year!!
I have been preparring a series of three posts that I will be composing entitled "You Can't See With Your Eyes Shut!!" This is a sermon that I heard from my minister, Chad Whitmore, at Franklin Avenue Christian Church in Des Moines, Iowa that really spoke to me. He had adapted his sermon from a speaker at the 2007 Iowa Christian Convention, to give credit where credit is due.
I will be posting the first of this series today.
I thank you for spending time reading my thoughts on God.
I have been preparring a series of three posts that I will be composing entitled "You Can't See With Your Eyes Shut!!" This is a sermon that I heard from my minister, Chad Whitmore, at Franklin Avenue Christian Church in Des Moines, Iowa that really spoke to me. He had adapted his sermon from a speaker at the 2007 Iowa Christian Convention, to give credit where credit is due.
I will be posting the first of this series today.
I thank you for spending time reading my thoughts on God.
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