The Depths of My Heart Will Sing, How Great is OUR God!

BRAINTEASER: I was watching a youtube video called, “does anybody know you’re a Christian?” and he said this; “Too many people are concerned about other people’s opinions. If Jesus would have done that, nobody would be saved. He died to himself.”


When I realized my summer trip with a friend of mine would really draw me away from God, I wanted to cancel it. But God had a different idea. I told her that we could spend time in the city during the day, but that going out at night would really tempt me back into a lifestyle I was not proud of. Its going to be excruciatingly difficult to spend a week in a provocative city with a person that I have grown away from, and who does not walk the same path, but why else would my great Lord provide me with such a challenge than for me to prove my strength in him and my self sacrifice and death toward myself?!? I don't know if that means I should be a guiding light toward her, or if it is just a test to see if I can constantly die to myself no matter the circumstance.But God brought me this struggle for a reason. 

We want God to be seen through us, meaning that we are invisible, we attract people to the Lord through our service and love, but they do not see us, only Him.

In the words of Hillsong, “Rid me of myself, I belong to you.”

However, one way that I know that I have begun to disappear, and the Lord has taken place of my life, is my passion for service, despite the difficulties. I found out that I really like scrubbing rusty pots! Maybe not the action, but the intense feeling of joy that really engulfs me when I make things pure and beautiful for others to enjoy, and take in, to rid the filfth that was, in some sense, putting a burden on them. Every little bit counts, but none of the thanks should go to us, but to the Lord, because without him we would not be doing these things.

I really liked what Andy said, “how often do we say ‘I'm trying to figure out my calling’ we are called to serve! WE must choose to serve!”

And why do I love my God? Because he loves me infinitely more. I have struggled through so many things in my life. I give up my vices but end up coming back to the very thing that is destroying me. Sometimes it is our darkest secrets that we feel most comfortable with, and that is never how anyone should live. It is NOT a way of LIFE! Sorry Andy, stealing your idea again, but, now that God has filled up my life, those things don’t fit or have a place. “THEY ARE NOT SHACKLES ANY MORE, CHRIST DESTROYED/DEMOLISHED THEM... IT IS JUST DUST!!”  Some of those things, I tried to go back to, but luckily, they become less attractive to us, and even too hard to realistically hold on to. They will never come back because they no longer have power over us!

In addition, the Tuesday devotion really hit me. God’s discipline is His LOVE for us! We will suffer painful realities for our Lord to attain life’s deepest meaning and thrill! If we do not pursue his calling to suffer and grow, we will only suffer and regret, without Him by our side to lead us. I love the story where the man looks back at his life and says to God, “At the beginning of my life, there were two pairs of footprints, but by the end of the road, there was only one pair, and the prints where deeper. Obviously my burden became greater, but at my greatest time of need, why did you leave me Lord?” God tells the man, “I never left you my child! I walked with you until the burden became too great, and then I began to carry you the rest of the way.” 

I was encouraged!

BEFORE YOU READ THIS- Check out the post by Reid below \/ this one!

I was encouraged today when I heard that some Barnabi were (literally) calling each other for accountability! It is so cool to see and hear about the reach of community that is far beyond a simple post or e-mail. It is REAL! This is what separates this type of blog from any other blog, we are able to contact, B.E.M.C. one another even outside of this web-reality.

Each week in praying "Father, I thank you for life today..." I am reminded that I'm not thanking him for MY life... I'm thanking Him for the life He allows me, the life I have in Him!

3. Humility-

Day 1- "Maturity is synonymous with humility."- Jeremiah 10:23-15 When I read this passage I think of a Jeremiah praying this and shaking. "Correct me, O LORD, but with justice; Not with Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing." His correcting will destroy me and build me back up, but if He chose to correct me with anger, I would be reduced to nothing. I see and realize Lord that my life is not my own! May I continue to die to myself so others may see YOU!

Day 2- Paul seeks Identity in Christ- I love how just by his introduction of himself in the letter he immediately Identifies himself in Christ! This is such an example, "follow me as I follow Christ". Paul could have introduced himself as, "it's me, I walked with Jesus... look at how I'm suffering, how I've done all this cool stuff" instead he shows us humility, seeking identity in one Who suffered a sinners, humiliating, death on a cross. Powerful! Humility! Reading about day 2 I was challenged with the last question, "What are you choosing today, The pain of discipline or the pain of regret?" I am reminded of Discipline=Freedom. I want to have the pain of discipline, this type of pain leads me to more freedom, this pain leads me to the cross, In the cross there is freedom from... When we look to regret ("instead of embracing the pain of discipline for attaining their life's deepest meaning and thrill, they settle both now and going forward for the scriptures promise of a far deeper and destructive pain... the pain of regret") we try to put shackles back on (insecurities, old lives/ ways ect.) when we do this we realize it those shackles don't go on any more, they don't stay on, we then realize that during this time the shackles were shattered and turned to dust! THEY ARE NOT SHACKLES ANY MORE, CHRIST DESTROYED/DEMOLISHED THEM... IT IS JUST DUST!! Please bring me discipline Jesus, draw me in, break me down, may I be humiliated for Your name, It is only for You that I want to live Jesus, may I no longer try to put those shackles back on Lord, They are just dust!

Day 3- Volunteer position is so cool. Here am I Lord,[ "it goes against what my other friends are doing the summer we graduate from high school, my summer to relax and have time off, wait what am I getting myself into" ], Send me! Sometimes I think we throw up our hands before we know what we are getting into... long hours, scrubbing floors, toilets, dishes... Have I made a huge mistake? He says "No, when you chose to follow Me, you chose to follow Me till the end! It isn't gunna be pretty, it isn't going to be glorious, it is going to be hard work bringing you often to your knees (laughter and tears). WE ARE ALL CALLED TO SERVE... how often do we say "I'm trying to figure out my calling" we are called to serve! WE must choose to serve!

Lord may we be made less so You can be glorified. May I keep choosing to serve you Jesus, that is what I am called to, may I not say "no" to serving! I see my hand shoot up Lord, Here am I Lord, Send me!

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts! Keep blogging, and telling others about HIM! I'm encouraged AND challenged by the post below!!!

Pain of discipline or regret?

Hello friends

Tuesday scripture really spoke to me. 1 Corinthians 11:32 talks about discipline which has been a reoccurring theme in my life recently. I used to think Christians had it easy, the people I met at the church seemed happy and although they may have strayed at one point or another that was a choice that they made to walk away from God and then came back into his grace. So I figured as long as I followed God then my life would be perfect, right? Wrong. It took listening to my friends at college and all of your testimonies for me to realize God challenges us at every stage of our lives. There is pain and suffering in following Jesus, its not all rainbows and butterflies. But, here is the catch, if we don’t follow Jesus we may be able to cover up the pain but the regret and emptiness of not excepting Jesus love is far greater than the pain. Even with the pain we have God and our community to fall on to support us. Discipline is Gods way of loving us, and I am so glad that he does.

Also I just finished reading through Romans. Any suggestions of what I should read next?

Hi all! This weeks topic has been one thats hit me pretty hard, but Mondays in praticular. As i've been preparing for summer and praying about it, humility ha been a common prayer for me. With that verse, "My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent" its a total slap in the face. Yes, i am forgiven by Jesus' love on that cross....but i am still a sinner. Sometimes, even after i ask for forgivness and talk to God, my conscience still haunts me. I still beat myself up over my mistakes. It totally gets in the way. Instead we should be rejoicing in his grace and praising for his forgivness. Listening to what others criteque you for is such a big thing. For us to be able to take that to heart and grow from it is challanging but important. We just need to take it to God and ask for his guidance. Thats another thing thats been super important lately in my relationship with God. Theres nothing too small to bring to him. NOTHING. the more we talk to him and trust in him the stronger we grow in him. and how awesome is that?(: I dont know a lot of stuff. I dont know what to do sometimes. But what i do know is God loves me. He cares so deeply about me. He is constant. And he is SO GOOD!(: God bless you all this week.

Week 3: Hummility - Luke 22: 26-27

Hey Barneys! I love all of your posts! I hope you are really digging deep into the scriptures and the devotional. I have enjoyed being stretched and challenged this week in becoming humble.

This week I have really enjoyed the Luke 22 verse. "the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant". I love Christ's take on leadership. To be a leader is to be a servant. I know that the world does not often take this view of leadership. People often assume that leaders get the best of everything and deserve to be served by others. In the world, leaders get the best treatment, the most appreciation, and the closest parking spots. In our world it is expectant that leaders get the best of everything.

In the time Luke was written the Pharisees were the religious leaders of the day. They held much of the world's views on leadership. They got the best treatment, the best education, and they were seen as the closest to God (in their eyes, of course). So how revolutionary was Jesus' perspective on leadership? Hugely revolutionary! Both during that time and now. If you are a leader you are called to serve, to give up of yourself, to put yourself last, and to give up your rights so others can have theirs. ....wow....this honestly rattles me. The worlds perspective is so far from what Christ calls us to.

We are called to lead this summer on houseboats...which means we are ultimately called to serve. We are called to be like Christ and to serve as sacrificially as He has done. Christ is the leader of all, and yet He becomes the servant to all. He has left heaven, become nothing and served until death (Philippians 2:5-8). And he has given his life, poured himself out, and died as a servant to us all. He has become the ultimate leader, by becoming the ultimate servant. We are called to do the same.

Lord, I pray that you help us understand what it means to be a true leaders. Help us to become leaders, by teaching us how to be servants like you. Show us what it means to be humble and made less, so that you could be made more. It is all for your glory. In your name, Amen

ISAIAH 6:1-8

"My destruction is sealed, for I am a sinful man and member of a sinful race..."
but God- THE ALL POWERFUL, MIGHTY AND PERFECT LORD OVER ALL THE UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING IN IT!!!- allows Isaiah to stand in HIS AWESOME PRESENCE and then goes on to cleanse the man with a burning coal!

Unbelievable
That's my God. That's my God.

Isaiah's thought process throughout his vision:

"oh dear. OOH DEAR. This is it! I'm finished. There's no chance! I'm stained with earth and dirt..."
(ANGEL picks up burning coal with tongs)
"Yup. I KNEW IT! yessir yessir... this is the end. oh man!"
(coal touches Isaiah's lips)
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
(coal is lifted off)
"............. wait. hold the phone... I'm not dead...."

ANGEL says, "No... Now you're clean. Your debts are pardoned, your guilt has been removed, your sins have been forgiven! You are blameless before the Lord and set apart for Him. You don't belong to the world anymore... You are HIS and HE is yours."

I love this passage. I love it because I know, in the spiritual realm, this is exactly what happens when someone comes to Christ. This is what happens when I come before my God and beg for His forgiveness. The only difference now is that instead of a burning coal, it's the blood of Jesus Christ that wipes us clean. Saved by grace. Set apart for His work!

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?'
And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'"

Giving all the Glory to HIM!! : )

Hey Barney’s!

So unfortunately I was unable to attend the retreat with all of you guys! I heard it was amazing though and I can’t wait for training weekend with everyone : ) The reason I wasn’t at the retreat was because I was in Anaheim playing in our Big West Conference Basketball Championship which we won! Our team was fortunate to go on to play in the NCAA March Madness tournament at Stanford! We lost in the first round to Stanford, the number 2 team in the nation but the experience was so incredible and I’m so blessed to have been able to have this experience.

Through all the hype going on around our team and all the attention and “glory” our team is getting it was easy to get caught up and loose focus of who the glory really belongs to.

It is fitting that the topic of this week is humility with the realization of how easy it is to fall short and live for our own glory and not Christ’s glory. People are constantly trying to climb ladders looking for the next thing to fill the void in their heart. They think, “If I just make enough money to buy this car I’ll be happy,” “If I just marry the perfect husband or wife I’ll be happy” or as is the case with many athletes, “If we just win the championship I’ll be content.” The truth is none of these things will fill the void in our hearts. That’s why people constantly climb different ladders in search or something but are left dissatisfied. Winning the Big West Championship was great and fun but the “glory” that we received lasted for about a week or two and quickly faded. This “fame” that our team had worked all season was gone in a flash.

The glory that belongs to our savior lasts a whole lifetime. He is the reason that we live, the purpose of our life; our everything. I was definitely humbled with the whole experience of playing in the March Madness tournament as God revealed how unfulfilling the earthly glory of winning a basketball championship is. The temporary glory that people long for only leaves us broken and searching for more.

As Christians we are called to be ambassadors, representatives of God’s Kingdom to the lost citizens of the world, (2 Corinthians 5:20) Living for our own fame and glory is not in the proto-call. He demands all of us; not just church on Sunday’s, bible study groups, or weekly fellowship groups. He wants all aspects of our lives, our sports life, school, relationships, and friendships. It’s easy to compartmentalize Christ into our lives but He wants to infiltrate every room in our house, be the center of everything that we do.

This blog is so awesome and I’m so stoked that we get to learn and grow from each other and be, “mutually encouraged by each other’s faith,” (Romans 1:12) I know this summer is going to be incredible and I can’t wait for the journey that we get to take together! Have a great week everyone! : )

please pray.

hey i know this isn't related to our devotionals but i feel like you guys can help.

toda,y i came to school and found out one of my classmates, whom i have known since fiTh grade committed suicide last night.

my whole school is in shock.

i come from a small town so this is ridiculously surprising.

so all im asking is that you keep his family in your prayer. they really need strength right now. also pray for the students close friends and my school.

thanks,

micaela

~Insert fun quirky saying here~

What would you give up to serve your Lord. Your family, your friends, your music, the person you love most on this planet (the one that comes second to God). I can't even imagine what it would be like to give all those things up, not lose them, give them up. They are blessings from God, but he calls me to lay EVERYTHING at his feet, not just the weaknesses, that means the strengths and blessings too. He wants to be Lord over every aspect of our lives, and He Will have that. He knows what is best for us, and sometimes that means that life might hurt, alot. But we also know that with that pain of total submission comes his promise of blessings far exceeding the others.

GRRRIFFIN!!! YUS! :]

Griffin is a man of simple pleasures. He loves pizookies, the color purple and laughing. He is a man that never tries to magnify his problems but instead magnifies God so that the problems that are put before him are put into correct perspective before God. He looks at people and sees their beauty as children of God. He gives of himself without expecting anything in return, he loves without any form of prejudice, and serves selflessly just as our Christ asks us all to do. Griffin is a juggernaut of faith! He has challenged me, encouraged me, and modeled to so many the Christ lifestyle. HE IS A BARNABAS!!!
Yesterday, as I was reflecting on these last two weeks of devotions, Griffin came to mind. I was reading threw Matthew 22 where it says,"'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind.'[WEEK 1] This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important:'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[WEEK2] The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments". These last two weeks have been incredible... God has made himself known in ways I've never experienced! The funny thing is that the reason these last two weeks have been so incredible and the reason God has made himself so known to me is because they have been two full weeks of the most difficult struggles and challenges I've been faced with... but I always had God and my buddy, Griffin, with me, cheering me on, by my side. From the LA Marathon to juggling a full schedule under a tight budget, God has pulled me through and I don't think I could have made it without the blessing He has delivered to me through such a great friend. Now I'm faced with one more challenge: keeping my head high and eyes on our Lord as one of my best friends and brothers in Christ, Griffin, leaves for the Navy today...
The man who has always given of himself and loved others passionately is off to serve again... not any individual person like before but his whole country. Although, I miss Griffin already, when I said goodbye to him today, God reassured me that this was not the end of ANYTHING!!! This is the beginning of something great and now is the time to lean on HIM above anything else for my strength for each day.
I'm telling you about my brother not to make you sad but to encourage you. I told Griffin everything about Sonshine and I how excited I am to serve with all of you. He's told me how excited he is for me and how great this summer is going to be, not just for me but, FOR ALL OF US! Whenever I see him, he'll always tell me about how he's praying over Sonshine and how he loves what God has planned for us all. I know these prayers will come to pass! I know God will continue to reveal Himself to all of us. I know Griffin is going to make it make back home in one piece!
This is going to be great guys. SO GOOD! God is with us.

Sincere Love for People - Week 2

SINCERE LOVE FOR PEOPLE WRAP UP

"Ministry that lasts beyond the anguish of distress, tears, and crosses is not purpose driven but love inspired." - My response - "Less of me. More of you! Displace my darkness with your light.

"If you want to witness to dark, lonely hearts like Jesus, you must die. . . .He wants to shake the heavens through your death." - My response - "My cells want to live, yet you bid me to die!"

GIVE ME NEW CELLS GOD!!!!

In other words, "re-create me in grace by your spirit into your image so that I can bleed mercy to others like you Jesus."

Thank you.

Defining Some Christianese Through My Looking Glass...

Righteousness.

This is a word we tend to throw around in our Chrstianese speech. But what does it truly mean to be righteous? Jesus says in Matthew 5:20, "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." I might be just one of a handful of people who agree with me when I say this, but I think Jesus was being sarcastic! The Pharisees were regarded as one of the most righteous groups of people in that time. How was someone supposed to exceed them? But did the Pharisees really understand what it means to be righteous?

Righteousness is not an attitude. Righteousness is doing what is right in the Lord's eyes. It's about the heart and motivation behind your actions. Righteousness is the willingness to care for the most vulnerable in society. I read in a book once that the word "righteous" in Hebrew means "one whose aim is true." I don't necessarily think the Pharisees had an aim that was true. They were all about getting the laws right, being ABOVE everyone else. Being perfect.

Perfect.

Righteousness leads to perfection. Perfection by the world's standards is getting everything right to the tee, but perfection in God's eyes is maturity. I think you can be righteous and perfect but still make mistakes. As long as your "aim is true," you've got the point. I think we mix up the terms flawless and perfect far too often.

And once we find ourselves daily seeking after maturity, that's where we find humilty. Recognizing that seeking towards righteousness and perfection is NOT ABOUT HOW OTHERS WILL SEE US. If we're striving towards righteousness and perfection simply so that others will see us as such, then what we're striving for really isn't righteouss at all! That's what I think what the Pharisees thought righteousness was.

Lord, teach me and remind me to live in maturity so that I may serve you in humility and righteousness.

Amen.

lack o pride

I always considered myself to be a fairly humble person, and compared with the world, i was. But when it comes to the true test of humility, i fell fall short of the line.

This morning, during the devo, i probably made more connections than in almost any other so far. I don't know if that is because God is teaching me more and more each day to be like him or what but... One thing that came to my mind was picture of two people standing back to back, arguing. They had differing opinions and neither was willing to compromise. Then i thought of what humility would look like in that situation. Maybe it's like turning around and kneeling before the other person in forgiveness. Letting them know that it isn't about me anymore, it's about them. And even if the other person doesn't change, or doesn't understand why you are doing this, they see it. They see it and feel like they can breath again. Like it's a breath of fresh air, or a glass of cold water to a desert wanderer. They see it and find it "intoxicatingly attractive". In my short life thus far i have found that the most humble people always think they have the most pride, and the most prideful think they have much humility. A quick operational definition of Humility if i may, perhaps it could be defined as "Having no pride in our own actions". For what have we done great but that which God has had His hand in. We are nothing without him and so why celebrate our actions without him. This morning, before i started my devos I read i section in "The valley of vision" (If you don't already have one, i highly suggest one, it has been very inspiring, and Extremely comforting to me). In the section, at the very end it read "O that all my distresses and apprehensions might prove but Christ's school to make me fit for greater service by teaching me the great lesson of humility". When i read this i was a little shocked because the title of the section was "Need of Grace" and i didn't pick it out for it's connection to the devotionals, but God had me choose that one for a reason, and it was perfectly fitting for a reason.

This was supposed to post last night, but...alas it obivously didn't so, here it is now

In these last few years i've become aware of one of the biggest pitfalls of humanity, it leads to almost every sin committed (if not all). It's pride, it's looking at the good in ourselves and ignoring it in others. One thing that i've struggled with the most recently is seeing the good in those that have betrayed me. These last few months God has really just pushed and pushed for me to give up all the hurt and see that the people that have hurt are still created and loved by him, and in my case, they are his children.

Tuesday/thursday-I think i may have found a very common thread in this whole ministry, "it's not about us" it's not about our pain, our past, our future. It is about the light that shines within us, the light that i know i constantly hide from the world, the light that keeps me going in the darkest times, in the pain. That is the purpose of everything we do. To shine that same redeeming light into the lives of those people around us

Wednesday- As soon as we make a commitment to Christ, we agree to sever all ties with this world, we merely live here, we are not from here. But that also means we have to sever our ties with our wordly desires that come inherently with our bodies. As soon as that happens, as soon as we die to ourselves, then we can truly witness to the darkest places because our bodys aren't getting in the way anymore.

Friday-I think this was probably my favorite, and most inspiring day. Mainly because the devil constantly tells me that i've done nothing right. But God says that what we do doesn't make us who we are. It's our choice to let Him invade our lives and fix what we have broken, to realize that no, we can't do things on our own. I always have to remind myself that the best way to show Gods love, is to show people what He has done in my life, not what i have done for Him.

And If Our God Is For Us, Who Can Be Against?

BRAINTEASER: “does anyone KNOW youre a Christian by your actions, or THINK you're a Christian cuz youre acting?”

Sorry I did not provide a post last week, but I was struggling with this concept;

one of the hardest parts about making time with God is giving him our fear and stress about the business in our lives. I have to continually remind myself that not only should He be the priority in my life, but through Him, all my troubles are so small. I need to make time for Him and He will make sure I have time for anything that leads me toward his plans for me. Romans 12:1-2 tells us the steps of how to know God's will for our life: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer 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."

Before the trip, I had already begun to transform significantly in the Lord. I was at church one day when they were passing around the tithing bucket. I only had a $20 and didn’t feel comfortable giving so much. However, being in high school with few real expenses, I considered what I really would be spending it on; a new pair of shoes. I really didn’t need another pair, so I realized that this was exactly the kind of thing that it means having that you are passionate about but is not neccisarily bad, like fashion, keeping you from God. I did not want to ever be in a place again where my own concerns stopped me from serving God when I really wanted to. For me at least, its not about the money; its about the concept of giving up those distractions in your life. I put the twenty in, and felt good about it, not because I was being generous, but because I had been released from the bondage of an idol over the one true God.

I also love what Brad said about not announcing our service to the world. Speaking of, in class I was able to donate more money this week than I normally could have toward our World Vision fund, but when somebody saw, they announced it to the class. I realized that I should have done it more discretely, because it is not my money, but God’s and the glory should go to him, not through me. I am trying to do good works without calling attention to myself, but it is hard to tell others about how to serve without making them think I am only asking for praise. I genuinely want my friends to experience the joy of service, not just congradulate me on my own actions.

I have also been having trouble in my attempts to witness to my friends who seem to be forgetting their walk with God. However, this weekend He presented me with the opporotunity to have “jam sessions” and play worship songs. I was seamlessly able to get a few of my friends to sing along, and hope to inspire more worship on the Senior retreat of my school which is Sunday and Monday. I want to die to myself and treat others in a way that they will want to taste more of the Savior. It is important that we treat every moment as a perfect moment to demonstrate the love of God, because if our walk of life isn’t any different from those of our friends, why would following God make a difference?

In addtion, I loved Thursday’s devotion about 1 Corinthians 10:16. On Wednesday I had experienced a situation where I had been deeply hurt by a person I care about because he had been stressed about some large changes in his life. I had worried about a comment he had made the whole night, overanalyzing the situation. The next day I read this devotion and it really hit me. It speaks about what being a leader is. We must learn to forgive, internalize our pain, and give it up to the lord. We must humble ourselves by putting the importance of others above our own feelings, and sometimes must risk severe emotional pain. But without this element of sacrifice we are unable to be completely in service for God, rather than ourselves. I realized over the past couple of days that his actions might have been cruel, but later I was presented with an apology when he explained that he had prayed about his situation and realized he had been in the wrong. However this will not always be the case, as not everyone will admit their faults. People might need a witness who will not fight back when they attack. We must serve with a submissive attitude to others.

Pardon my extreme nerd vibe! I get super caught up in just typing way too much information instead of connecting with all of you! I’m trying to work on being more friendly!

1 Corinthians

I think the passage that stood out to me the most this week was 1 Corinthians 12-31. "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." I love this image so much! It reminds me that we are not only part of God's family, but we are ALL a part of the body of Christ. "Even the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable." This really stuck out to me because sometimes I feel like I don't have some of the strengths that are obviously helping spread the word of God. But this verse is really encouraging because it reminds me that the strengths that God has given me are just as important and necessary as other ones. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and it is necessary for all of us to come together and work together as the body of Christ to share his word. I'm SO excited for this summer, because I know that God will use all of our different strengths in our own separate ways to serve him, so He can change the lives of the campers :)

LOVE

Hello friends =]
Hope everyone had a great week!
Well! This week has been busy to say the least but these devos helped me put things into perspective...

Tuesdays was so amazing I just had to write about it :)
"For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you." 2nd Corinthians 2:4

This verse made me think of how Paul was so much like God! Corinth at the time was sin city, Paul continued to write to them because he knew he could save them. He loved every single one of them, not because he knew them, but because he knew that they were all God's creation. He was loving on them by sharing the word!
This got me thinking...Paul wasn't afraid to share with anyone...so why am I? God makes it clear: "Go out and share the word" is written EVERYWHERE in the Bible. So why don't I feel like I am capable of doing it?
Jesus died for me because he loved ME! This one reason should be enough for me to go out and show his love to others. This is my goal: to not be afraid and reach out to those God loves.

Finally, Friday!
So I was reading 1st Corinthians in my Message Bible. Oh my goodness it put the verses in perfect words.
"I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate-I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it- and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway. God's spirit and God's power did it." 1st Corinthians 2:3-5

We do not need to be in control of anything. It is okay to be scared out of our minds!! I mean Paul was...and Paul in my opinion was an amazing disciple! Sooo I thought that this verse was encouraging. We have to trust God and we do so God's love and power will move us in the direction of his will. He will guide us with his right hand so it is okay to be afraid =]

Well thats all for now folks
have an awesome weekend!

Mattew 6:1-4

WOW! Talk about inspiration!

The moment I read the verse my brain was in awwwwh. So I don’t want to be a hypocrite, but having to talk about the scripture it is kind of implying the possibility. So please, I hope by me talking about it doesn’t give the wrong idea to any of you.

Every sentence struck me on the idea of how true and fulfilling this scripture was. Now; many know God wants us to serve, but how to go about that was something I never thought of. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets….. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” I love to serve threw God to show my love for others; I believe in this with all my heart, but to brag or impress is simply in no way the rightful thing to do. Jesus sayed, “Then your father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Just being reminded by the idea of God always watching over us, gives relief to get me threw the day. He sees and knows everything! These few versus definitely made it on my list of places to turn to when I am in need of inspiration.

We are the body.

Hi fellow barneys:)

Wednesday's lesson really spoke to me. I loved the references to the body parts and how no part is useless or any less important than another one. An eye cannot hear and a mouth cannot smell, which is why together they do it all. Individually they are incomplete, but together they create something whole and unified (the body!) This is really cool to me to look at this example in the church, showing how one person is no greater than another. We need each other to serve others and to serve God, and to be the body of Christ.

In God's eyes, were all equal. To me, this just shows how amazing our God is, and how big he is. He loves us all so much, yet knows us each individually. When I first heard this, (on houseboats actually!) I was stunned. I couldn't understand how he could know me just as much as knew everyone in the church sitting next to me. His love is that big!

These studies have brought me into such a deeper understanding of his love, and its only week two! You guys are all in my prayers and I hope this is helping you grow as much as it has for me:)

Ministry Love

I absolutely love this verse and passage (I know I'm a day late) I love how He says He lets us know the depth of His love for us! He never fails to remind us that He loves us and will always be there for us. What really stood out to me was that mini sty isn't purpose driven but love inspired. Everything we do for God is out love. If we love Jesus and love each other then discipleship will follow. I definitely agree with that. Yes God is there when we are suffering and live in anguish, and it seems to me that, its in those times when we or me personally feel God the most. But, He wants us to know that He loves us and will never leave us but wants to remind us that He is there and He has an unconditional love for us that will never go away. For me, it was really great for me to hear this passage from God and it helps me to be reminded of His love.