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listening to: the new Jesus Culture album – consumed. very good. very good. being making a playlist on my stero of that and their earlier album we cry out as a springboard for worship and prayer.
on tv: watched Eagle Eye on dvd the other day. really enjoyed that. also watched Curly Top, old shirley temple movie, and so enjoyed that 
) super cute. black and white.
reading: just finsihed a breath of snow and ashes by diana galbadon, and so between books.
in the word: reading jeremiah, genesis, job and matthew
weather: spring has sprung!
excited by: our young adults church, what God is doing and growing – there were 2 non chrsitians there on sunday night when i preached, and my hsuband got to come too for the first time, maybe the first time in real life hearing me preach too (he ususally listens to the cds, and when i did the preaching course, watched my vids…) but was way cool to have him there!
enjoying: getting my washing dry outside (small things!), encouragement, worship, inspiration, laughing, pizza, mac and cheese
looking forward to: hanging out with an old friend and new new baby this week, housegroup tongiht, telling my son he is starting tennis soon, wearing my new jumper today, speaking on end times at the end of hte month
challenged by: that those that spend time with God know him and are strong and do exploits – is holiness and anointing cumulative? does it grow by time spent with God? and if so then why are we not hungering for it and doing it? time to lay our lives down and seek God!
I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.
Matthew 28:20
“These things I have spoken to you
so that My joy may be in you,
and that your joy may be made full.” John 15
In a fractured world, why be afraid to announce Joy? “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
Believe. Announce Joy!”
inspired by a joy filled post over at Holy Experience i am announcing JOY!
these things brought joy to my world this week…
the warm fingers of my daughter around my neck
my son’s unabashed and unreserved laugh
the smell of my own hair (sad i know)
a quiet morning brimming with promise
the caller-id of a best friend
the drum beat and guitar rift of Jesus Culture’ new cd
turning that music up louder
the crunch of snow
the pinkness of happy cheeks
the comfort of a real hug
the memories eating a jet plane brings of childhood
warm toes
small things yes i know, but fingerprints of my Father’s love and creativity
Has anyone ever said to you GET A LIFE?
Did you know the bible tells you EXACTLY HOW TO GET A LIFE?
In fact it is quite black and white on what having life is all about and what not having life is all about….
1 John 5:11-12 says:
God has also said that he gave us eternal life and that this life comes to us from his Son. And so, if we have God’s Son, we have this life. But if we don’t have the Son, we don’t have this life. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does has no life.
so lets break it down:
LIFE
Life is found in knowing Jesus – in being saved – in being forgiven and made new and clean and holy and acceptable to God….
HEY did u know that when you become a Christian that all the yuck things you’ve done are taken off your rap sheet – and that you get the same record as Jesus – PERFECT and INNOCENT. Awesome and amazing eh!
God gives us life – real life isn’t just about living breathing eating sleeping school job work marriage kids tv sports etc – its about being ALIVE on the inside…
When we are alive on the inside we are connected to God and are back being his family. We have all the benefits of that.
Being a Christian is about knowing God – when we are Christians he gives us his peace and love and grace and hope and purpose and we can pray and he will answer.
Lets get black and white and real and raw here….
NO LIFE
If you are not a Christian you are dead on the inside. No life.
Your rap sheet says GUILTY.
You are separated from God – not only eternally but in this life too. You are not part of his family. You are not under his rescuing protection.
In saying that I am not saying God is ignoring you – far from that - he is trying to get your attention so that you will learn the truth and find out that there is a way made for you to be rescued and saved and to know him – in this life and next life. In fact God’s love is so everlasting for you that he sent Jesus in the first place to die on the cross in a horrible horrid full on punishing sacrificial death so that you can draw near to him and be found. Right now if you don’t know God you are lost and dead. But he has made a way for you to be found and clean and new and forgiven.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6
The apostles said about Jesus: Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross, so you would be brought back to God. You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things. But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent. Colossians 1:20-22
Who can remember why I started going to youth group when I was 16?
Yip the boys…
Not the most spiritual reason!
BUT I did know that I didn’t know God – I didn’t believe he was real at that point before – but I kind of did want to know for sure….
A guy at youth group prayed and I KNEW he knew God and that God was real and that I had to do something about it.
I couldn’t tuck that knowledge into my pocket and go cool that is neat, God is real, have a nice day.
I HAD TO MAKE A CHOICE.
That is what I am telling you about tonight.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE.
LIFE? Or NO LIFE?
You know what the difference is.
Life – is ???
No life is ???
We get life by???
We get no life by choosing to live our own lives ignoring God and rebelling against Him and not accepting his one way into heaven.
So how do we make that choice real in our lives right now?
If you haven’t made the choice to be a Christian and to believe that Jesus is the one way to heaven and that he makes you new and clean and saved and alive – to trust him with everything you have got and everything you are and will be – to love him and learn to love him – then now is an opportunity.
You want to sure that if you closed your eyes in death tonight that you would open them and see God and he would say WELCOME, YOU BELONG HERE WITH ME.
If you have life, if you have Jesus that is what will happen.
Jesus Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. You are saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. It isn’t something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about.
Its not about being good enough or Christian enough or knowing about God – it is about being dead once upon a time and being made alive because of Jesus and what he did on the cross for you and for me.
Life? Or No Life?
youth preach notes for this friday night outreach
“Faith is the heroic effort of your life. You fling yourself in reckless confidence on God. God has ventured all in Jesus Christ to save us. Now he wants us to venture our all in a life that can face anything it has to face without wavering….Again and again, you will get up to what Jesus Christ wants, and every time, you turn back when it comes to that point until you abandon resolutely….Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold by common sense–and leap into what He says….Christ demands of the man who trust Him the same reckless spirit….that is daring enough to step out of the crowd and bank his faith on the character of God.”
– Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest –
Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on solid rock. Matthew 7:24-25
Rain poured down.
Rivers flooded.
Wind beat against the house.
storms, voilence, destruction, damage, trouble, pain, worry, fear
in difficult times those who have built their lives not only on the principals of the Word but upon THE ROCK himself – upon JESUS – the Rock is Jesus Christ – will stand. Jesus is the Rock! Trust Him. Build your life upon Him and who he is and you will stand. NOT just about principals but upon a man, a saviour, the Lord!
God’s people avoid evil ways,
and they protect themselves
by watching where they go.
Proverbs 16:17
AVOID
WATCHING
they are DOING words! verbs!
intentional actions, purposeful.
watching = alert, careful, watchful, praying attention, having caution, respect, observant, thinking
avoid = keep away from, avoid, stay away from, keep safe away from, make a choice to keep away from
For a close, remember this, that your life is short, your duties many, your assistance great, and your reward sure; therefore faint not, hold on and hold up, in ways of well-doing, and heaven shall make amends for all! Thomas Brooks
Life is more than just breathing. It is more than jsut working and even more than just falling in love, raising a family etc… We need to live for today remembering that we are not just flesh and blood but that we serve the Almighty God, the King of Glory and that He has a mission for which He gave His life for. In the everything, no matter how mundane or normal it is, we do we should remember who we are – ambassadors for reconnecting people with God. Life is more than just breathing – it is about living and having adventure! The adventure and satisfaction we are born craving is found in God, in knowing Him and serving Him.
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