Most of you have seen me with what looks like a doctors office bracelet and I've been asked 'when did you go to the doctor?' and other question relating to the topic. But it's not a doctors office bracelet. It's from a Nerium conference I went to and I keep it on to remind me of things I might forget. The bracelet has 12 holes on it and I use those 12 holes as reminders.
Here is that list.
1. God Unconditionally Loves Me
Many times we act as though God is an angry judge that is looking for our sins so that he can punish us. When we mess up our actions can sometimes say that I've got to earn God's love back because I messed up, and that's just not true. God's love through the cross of Calvary said once for all "I love you and you never ever ever have to worry about me not loving you." Romans 8:37-39
2. God is Good
This is also tough because we can, through our actions, realize that we believe that God is good to only those that are good. This is a lie from the pit of hell. I again refer to the cross and the verse that says " while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." This is God being good to those that are bad, showing love to those who have never shown love, mercy to those who have never been merciful, and grace where none was previously granted. God is good.
3. Jesus is My Good Enough
This refers to God's grace in my life. I'm not good enough in many areas of my life. Not good enough for the standard that God has set in his word. But Jesus is good enough and when I truly put my trust in him, His grace is sufficient in all things. When He is my good enough I find that I don't worry as much because Jesus' best is working on the inside of me. Christ in me makes me good enough. He is my strength, He is my shield, Jesus is my grace, and this list could keep going...
4. Jesus is My More than Enough
Not only does God give me grace he gives me more than enough grace. Paul in 1 timothy says "14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant," crazy! Abundant means more than enough and here Paul says God's grace is more than more than enough. You may feel that God is not more than enough but He is, and when we ask him for help, for what ever we need help with, let us believe that God is more than enough in every situation and circumstance.
Here is my first four reminders
1. God Unconditionally Loves Me
2. God is Good
3. Jesus is My Good Enough
4. Jesus is My More than Enough
Other reminders coming soon...
Pastor Jesse
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Year of Circles
Year of Circles
In this new year where new resolutions are being made by the dozen there is only one that I have made: that I would be a circle maker. I have been reading "The Circle Maker" by Mark Batterson and have been challenged and felt the Lord speaking to me that this needs to be a year of making circles and staying there until prayers have been answered.
Circles? That doesn't make sense. What do you mean? Short answer: A guy named Honi, in a drought, went out and made circle with his staff in the ground and literally prayed there until it began to rain.
So for me that doesn't mean going outside making a circle with a stick I found and praying there until a girl walks up and wants to be my girlfriend (not that I don't pray for that often), but that I choose a couple of distinct attitudes and that I grab on to some things God has spoken to me personally(more than just a wife, but that is included).
This involves just a couple things:
1. Hope. Jesus is our hope. Hope is the expectation of something good happening. Expecting and knowing that Jesus is working in my life is a huge relief, otherwise I'd be living this life thing alone. I choose to hold on to the promise that God has a future and hope in all areas of my life.
2. Gratitude. Making sure that I stay thankful for what God has given me already and thankful for the hope I have. Being an unthankful person can be one of the most off putting things about a person.
3. Persistence without exception. We all know how easy it is to quit.
So as I pray I choose to hope in the things God has said, choosing to be grateful, and persist without exception.
As I write I am reminded of the story in the bible where a lady keeps going to the king over and over and over. And the king, even though he is a bad king, gets tired of this lady's persistence and takes care of what she wants. How much more does our God want to answer our prayers being a good king.
There is a lot to making circles but these are three that stood out to me. I hope that this year will be a year of answered prayers and that this year of circle making will be one of the best years ever.
Jesse
In this new year where new resolutions are being made by the dozen there is only one that I have made: that I would be a circle maker. I have been reading "The Circle Maker" by Mark Batterson and have been challenged and felt the Lord speaking to me that this needs to be a year of making circles and staying there until prayers have been answered.
Circles? That doesn't make sense. What do you mean? Short answer: A guy named Honi, in a drought, went out and made circle with his staff in the ground and literally prayed there until it began to rain.
So for me that doesn't mean going outside making a circle with a stick I found and praying there until a girl walks up and wants to be my girlfriend (not that I don't pray for that often), but that I choose a couple of distinct attitudes and that I grab on to some things God has spoken to me personally(more than just a wife, but that is included).
This involves just a couple things:
1. Hope. Jesus is our hope. Hope is the expectation of something good happening. Expecting and knowing that Jesus is working in my life is a huge relief, otherwise I'd be living this life thing alone. I choose to hold on to the promise that God has a future and hope in all areas of my life.
2. Gratitude. Making sure that I stay thankful for what God has given me already and thankful for the hope I have. Being an unthankful person can be one of the most off putting things about a person.
3. Persistence without exception. We all know how easy it is to quit.
So as I pray I choose to hope in the things God has said, choosing to be grateful, and persist without exception.
As I write I am reminded of the story in the bible where a lady keeps going to the king over and over and over. And the king, even though he is a bad king, gets tired of this lady's persistence and takes care of what she wants. How much more does our God want to answer our prayers being a good king.
There is a lot to making circles but these are three that stood out to me. I hope that this year will be a year of answered prayers and that this year of circle making will be one of the best years ever.
Jesse
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